Roquefort 
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Roquefort is a blue cheese made from raw Lacaune sheep's milk in southern France. Only cheese ripened in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may carry the name. It is tangy and creamy, with no rind and a sharp bite from the blue veins.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, south of France |
| Protection | PDO (1996), AOC (1925) |
| Milk Type | Sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized |
| Rind | None |
| Texture | Moist, very creamy |
| Flavor | Mild to strong |
| Aroma | Sweet |
| Colors | Blue-veined |
| Forms | Wheels, wrapped in impermeable foil |
| Age | Minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months |
| Rennet Type | Animal |
| Alternative Spellings | Ròcafòrt |
| Also Known As | Roquefort AOP, Roquefort AOC, Roquefort PDO |
What is Roquefort Cheese?
Roquefort comes from southern France. EU law reserves the name for cheese aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, in the Occitania region. On 4 June 1411, Charles VI granted the people of the village a monopoly on ripening it. Production reached 300 tonnes a year by 1820 and 9,250 by 1914. In 1925 it became the first cheese in France to receive an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, and in 1961 a court at Millau ruled that only cheese ripened in the caves of Mont Combalou could use the name.
The cheese is made entirely from the milk of Lacaune sheep. The milk has to be whole, raw and never heated above 34 °C (93 °F), and rennet must be added within 48 hours of milking. The Penicillium roqueforti behind the veining is grown in France from the caves themselves, and salting is done with dry salt. About 4.5 litres of milk go into one kilogram (2.2 lb) of finished cheese. Seven producers make it, the largest by volume being Roquefort Société.
Roquefort is white, creamy and slightly moist, with veins of blue mold running through it. It has no rind, and the exterior is edible and a little salty. The flavor carries a taste of butyric acid, while the veins bring a sharp tang. A typical wheel weighs 2.5 to 3 kg (5.5 to 6.6 lb) and measures about 10 cm (4 in) thick.
Around three million wheels, roughly 10,000 tonnes, are made each year, which puts Roquefort second only to Comté in France. In Aveyron and the surrounding area, cooks use it in main-course meat sauces, savory tarts and quiches, pies and fillings. The French often call it the king of cheeses, or the cheese of kings.
How Does Roquefort Cheese Compare?
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