Blue Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat 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 Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Milk treatment: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized or Raw), Picodon Cheese (Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized)
- Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Blue Cheese (Natural), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Blue Cheese (Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Blue Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | — | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Cow, Sheep, Goat | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized or Raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | Natural | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | Typically aged 2-6 months | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Blue Cheese can stand in for Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese suits recipes that want sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
Which is your favorite?
One click, anonymous. See what others chose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Blue Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Blue Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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 Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.