Blue Cheese vs Ossolano Cheese
Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Ossolano Cheese is firm and springy with small, irregular eyes and made from cow milk.
What Is Blue Cheese?
Blue cheese is any cheese made with edible mold cultures that form blue-green spots and veins through the paste. It ranges from mild and slightly sweet to salty and sharp, and from almost liquid to hard.
What Is Ossolano Cheese?
Ossolano is an Italian PDO cow's milk cheese from the Ossola valley in Piedmont, made year round in small mountain dairies and ripened at least 60 days. It comes as plain Ossolano or as Ossolano d'Alpe, made in summer on pastures above 1,400 m.
What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Ossolano Cheese?
- Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Ossolano Cheese (Cow's milk)
- Milk treatment: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized or Raw), Ossolano Cheese (Whole milk from two to four successive milkings)
- Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Ossolano Cheese (Firm and springy with small, irregular eyes)
- Rind: Blue Cheese (Natural), Ossolano Cheese (Smooth, regular, straw yellow, darkens with age)
- Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Ossolano Cheese (Minimum 60 days)
- Taste: Blue Cheese (Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent), Ossolano Cheese (Harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Blue Cheese | Ossolano Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | — | Ossola Valley, Piedmont Region |
| Milk Type | Cow, Sheep, Goat | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized or Raw | Whole milk from two to four successive milkings |
| Texture | Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft | Firm and springy with small, irregular eyes |
| Rind | Natural | Smooth, regular, straw yellow, darkens with age |
| Aging | Typically aged 2-6 months | Minimum 60 days |
| Taste | Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent | Harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age |
Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Ossolano Cheese?
Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Ossolano Cheese brings harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age character. On the nose, Blue Cheese offers strong, pungent, earthy, funky, contrasted with Ossolano Cheese's delicate but intense, floral notes, hints of nuts. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while Ossolano Cheese leans toward floral notes, hints of nuts, buttery diacetyl taste, ripe and dried fruit, vanilla, dog-roses, alpine flowers, spiciness. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Ossolano Cheese at minimum 60 days.
Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Ossolano Cheese?
Blue Cheese can stand in for Ossolano Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, creamy, semi-soft bite and body where the recipe calls for firm and springy with small, irregular eyes. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent while Ossolano Cheese brings harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age notes.
Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Ossolano Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cheese, go with Blue Cheese. For a firm and springy with small, irregular eyes profile, Ossolano Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese suits recipes that want sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent notes, while Ossolano Cheese fits dishes calling for harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue Cheese the same as Ossolano Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Ossolano Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Ossolano Cheese minimum 60 days.
Is Blue Cheese similar to Ossolano Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Ossolano Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Blue Cheese taste like Ossolano Cheese?
Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Ossolano Cheese is harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age. Aromas also diverge. Blue Cheese leans strong, pungent, earthy, funky, and Ossolano Cheese is closer to delicate but intense, floral notes, hints of nuts.
What is Blue Cheese made of?
Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or raw), using traditional (animal rennet) or microbial (varies by producer) rennet. It's typically aged typically aged 2-6 months. It originates in France.
What is Ossolano Cheese made of?
Ossolano Cheese is made from cow milk (whole milk from two to four successive milkings). It's typically aged minimum 60 days.
Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Ossolano Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Ossolano Cheese is firm and springy with small, irregular eyes.