Past Newsletters

Vol 4 No 1

Centuries of Stilton

What better way to start off the New Year and each and every month with refreshing selections from In Pursuit of Cheese. This month your selections will send your taste buds back in time. Eighteenth century travelers encountering their first taste of Stilton cheese must have been so smitten that the word about its remarkable, mouth-pleasing flavor spread far and wide. Today, nearly 300 years later, Stilton is still handmade exclusively in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire from local milk. Only seven dairies, using the original centuries-old recipe, are licensed to produce the creamy ivory-hued king of cheeses.

Stilton was first made in the midlands of England and it takes its name from the village of Stilton… even though no Stilton was ever made there! The village is located about 70 miles north of London on the Great North Road. It is here that the coaches traveling from London to Scotland and other northern cities made their first stop for fresh horses and overnight stays. Convenient to Melton Mowbray and the surrounding area, the village of Stilton became the center market place for the cheese, and thousands were sold every week. So the blue cheese one would buy in Stilton became known as Stilton Cheese.

Drink a pot of ale, eat a scoop of Stilton, every day, and you will make old bones. Nineteenth Century saying

According to Trevor Hickman, resident of Wymondham in East Leicestershire and a Stilton historian, the background of the cheese is somewhat cloudy. A blue-veined cow’s milk cream cheese was produced by farmers at Wymondham as soon as pastures were enclosed, but the first written reference to Stilton cheese was in 1722. Other references made about the same time clearly indicate that Stilton was very popular even then.

Frances Pawlett, a skilled Wymondham cheese maker, is credited for creating the quality and shape standards for Stilton Cheese. Her skill at cheese making and her husband’s business acumen led to the first marketing cooperative in the area for Stilton Cheese. All other cheese makers had to meet these standards for blued cream cheese in order to market their cheeses under the name of Stilton. Along with the help of Cooper Thornhill, owner of the famous Bell Inn of Stilton, the Pawletts helped build the trade in Stilton cheese to record levels.

Today Stilton is made much the same way as it was in the 1700's. In 1936, The Stilton Cheese Makers Association was formed to maintain the quality standards and protect the trademark of Stilton. This means authorized creameries can only make true Stilton, operating only in the three counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. The seven creameries that are authorized to make Stilton make over a million cheeses a year… now that’s a lot of cheese!

The Birth of the Blues

Blue cheese was originally an accident. As the story goes, a shepherd accidentally left his lunch of fresh cheese (Roquefort, which is now one of the most famous French blue cheeses) and Rye bread sitting in a cave, while he took off in pursuit of a beautiful young girl. He must have gotten lucky, because he didn’t come back for his cheese and Rye. A few weeks later when he had forgotten to bring his lunch (no doubt he had been day dreaming about you know who), he returned to the cave, expecting to find dried up bread and cheese… but still nourishing. He discovered the cheese had grown a covering of blue green stuff. Now, the shepherd was exceedingly hungry, so he closed his eyes and bit off a small piece. To his astonishment, the cheese tasted delicious, and in fact, it was far superior to the cheese he had left behind in the cave!

Whether that story depicts the real way blue cheese came about… well, we'll leave that to you to decide. We can’t quite work out why a shepherd wouldn’t invite such a lovely damsel into his cave for such a lavish meal! Perhaps the bearskin rug was out for cleaning.

Before the machines, nine-inch knitting needles pierced the cheeses… the machines are only twice as fast!

But seriously, there can be no disputing how mouth watering and exceptionally delectable blue cheese is. Do we hear a few groans of disagreement? Actually, there are a lot of people who think they dislike blue cheese. And believe it or not, we used to agree with them… until we were introduced to Colston Bassett Stilton. Most Stilton cheese sold in this country is dry, sharp, and very acidic. Why? The main reason is that it's sold too young. Stilton needs to be matured to allow the mold that creates the distinctive flavors to develop. The best Stilton will be creamy, with a subtle yeasty sweetness, and a salty nut finish. In fact, the way you tell the quality of your Stilton is by how creamy it is, not by how blue it is.

So how does the cheese get blue? The basic recipe for blue cheese starts out like any other cheese. The difference is that mold spores are added to the milk during the cheese making process. Since mold needs air to grow, the cheeses are pierced when they are about 6 weeks old. Quite literally, the cheese is pierced evenly all around it’s’ circumference, from top to bottom.

At Colston Basset, the piercing was originally done using nine-inch knitting needles. Nowadays they use a machine which surprisingly does the job only twice as fast as the knitting needle method! The pierced cheese is then left in a maturing room where the magic of "bluing" begins. The air enters the cheese and the mold spores begin to grow slowly until the interior of the cheese is butter-like in texture.

Air… without it there is no life, as we know it. Not only do we all need it to live, but also, air is an extraordinary medium for maturing and discreetly differentiating cheeses. Because air picks up local bacteria, mold spores, aromas, moistures, and the like, the local air distinguishes the flavors of maturing cheeses.
So, just as a sourdough bread starter imparts unique and indigenous flavors to bread, so does air to blue cheese. If you made Stilton in another country using exactly the same recipe, it would turn out basically the same in texture, but the flavors would be different because the air is different.

Incredible Edibles

PASTA Melt a little butter and garlic, add some fresh cream and crumbled Stilton. Heat gently without boiling, then stir in a little brandy and pour over your favorite pasta. Or if you’re in a hurry, just put your favorite pasta in a large bowl and add crumbled Stilton. Stir until melted.

PASTRY Place slices of Stilton on 3 or 4 layers of filo pastry. Fold into neat parcels and cook in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.

POTATOES Stilton is a delicious filling for baked potatoes. Mix with the mashed potato or crumble on top.

Brie, The Queen of Cheeses

The second selection from In Pursuit of Cheese is our velvety French friend, acclaimed as one of the world's great cheeses – Brie. Characterized by an edible, downy-white rind and a cream-colored, buttery-soft interior, this cheese "oozes" at the peak of ripeness. Though several countries make this popular cheese, we bring you only the finest selection from France. Considered the best in the world, the French tradition of making Brie dates back to the 8th century… yes, the 8th century! And we are proud to deliver the quality and flavor that only an authentic cheese can offer.

The selection of this great cheese is an all-important process, which is why we employ the great expertise of the folks at Zingermans. Brie must be perfectly ripe for the best flavor, and so we bring you one that is plump and resilient to the touch, with a rind that might show some pale brown edges. Historically this lovely cheese was one of the tributes, which had to be paid to French Kings. Fortunately after all the head chopping at the Bastille, it is now widely available to us mere mortals.

Often referred to as the "Queen of Cheeses," it is an interesting story how this prestigious title actually came about. Incredibly, it was the very subject of a unanimously passed “resolution” by the General Assembly of the United Nations. At the Congress of Vienna in the year 1815, representatives of 30 nations were brought together after the Battle of Waterloo to reconstruct the map of Europe. As a reprieve from the serious business of rehabilitating whole regions of the world after the devastating battles that took place, these gentlemen invited those in power to prestigious balls and banquets.

On one such occasion, several were discussing the merits of various cheeses, at which point they decided to choose, and present, a cheese of their liking at the next fete. Monsieur de Talleyrand brought a Brie, which was immediately and unanimously proclaimed "Queen of Cheeses." Maybe this made up a little bit for France having lost the war. Whether it is Queen will always be debated by cheese lovers the world over, but there is certainly no denying that this cow's milk cheese is one of the greats.

Brie is an excellent dessert cheese. Try it with croissants, soft bread rolls, melons, and grapes. It’s a good party cheese as well, and is often enjoyed along with a Bourgogne, Cabernet, or Medoc.

Mold-Ripened Flavor

The rind on any cheese plays a very important role, but in no other cheese-style is it as responsible for affecting the flavor and texture as much as in Brie or other mold-ripened cheeses. With these cheeses, the maturing process is very important. Without the proper care, the rind can die - or worse, run rampant. In either case, the cheese is lost. It is an important role of the affineur to coax the rind to flourish, and then select just the right moments to "tame" the rind, so the cheese evolves into the alluring, tasty mystery that captivates so many.

The mold's job is to protect the fresh curd. Any fresh cheese would begin to grow a rind of mold if left in the right conditions. The rind actually extends the life of the fragile curd, acting as a barrier to contaminants and holding in the moisture. Rinds also have a lot to do with the ripening of the interior. The mold grows "roots" down into the cheese and as the roots grow, they change the consistency from firm to soft. These roots are not visible to the naked eye, but if you've ever cut into a cheese and it still has a chalky center, that's because the "roots" did not yet extend to the center.

Two Types of Fuzz

There are two categories of mold-ripened cheeses - natural rind and white-mold, like the Brie you have received. Natural rind cheeses have had their mold put there by nature, and it's grown without a lot of help from the maker. Sometimes, because they are natural, the molds won't be a uniform color. They can be blue, gray, mauve, just about any color, sometimes on the same cheese.

White-mold cheeses have their rind grown using a strain of culture - the most popular being penicillium candidum. White molds, on the other hand, offer the cheesemaker a certain amount of control and "influence" over the flavor and texture of their cheese. They're often created in laboratories to produce a certain effect, and the cheesemaker buys them for that effect. The culture is then added to the milk at the beginning of the cheese making process or a solution of it is sprayed onto the surface of the freshly made cheese.

Colored Molds: Eating the Rind

As mentioned, the mold on natural rind cheeses may be various colors. This style of cheese is especially prone to picking up molds from the environment around it. So if you've kept your cheese in the fridge for a few days and it acquires some different colored mold, you can just rub it gently with your finger, then enjoy. Whatever the color of the mold, it represents a natural process and is quite edible. The only color to avoid is bright yellow.

Still, whether something is edible, doesn't mean everyone wants to eat it. Should you? It's totally up to you - a matter of personal taste. Many French people won't eat the rind on a white mold, but will on a natural rind. Others think the rind adds incredible flavor and texture to the cheese, but it also depends on the age. Eating the rind will definitely make the cheese stronger in flavor. To decide for yourself, try a little with, then without. After all, the only taste that really counts is yours!

When Is A Cheese Too Old?
A cheese can never really go "bad" - it's made from sour milk to begin with. The age and strength of a cheese is simply a personal preference. The natural rind and white mold cheeses can be eaten quite young, particularly if you prefer a more tart flavor and firm center. By waiting for the cheese to completely soften you can sometimes encounter a smell of ammonia. This is perfectly safe and is just an indication the cheese is more mature.

Antique Emmentaler

Cheese has long been a staple of the Swiss diet… a fact that’s hardly surprising in a nation where, until recent times, dairy cows outnumbered people. The third selection this month hails from the central cantons of Switzerland. The etymology of the word Emmental gives the key of its origin: Tal=valley, and Emme is the name of a river in Switzerland. The Emmental valley is probably the best-known valley in Switzerland - people from the Emmental are considered to be hard working, thoughtful, and independent.

In the beginning - sources indicate the early 1500s - Emmentaler was not manufactured with trade in mind, but for preserving the milk of the significant herds. Quite naturally, this cheese making technique spread to the mass populations nearby, and almost all the nations of the Alpine developed a production of Emmentaler: Austria, Germany, France, and Italy (pre-war period). Today, it takes 1 ½ tons of milk to make 1 wheel of Emmentaler, about 220 lbs of cheese!

How do the holes get into the cheese?
The characteristic holes of Emmentaler cheese are formed during the maturing process in the fermentation cellar. The heat in the fermentation cellar causes propionic acid to ferment, and this in turn causes carbon dioxide gas to form within the body of the cheese. As the cheese rind is becoming harder and harder, it prevents the gas from escaping outwards by forming a natural barrier. As a result, the gas accumulates in various places in the body of the cheese.

Does the cheese need the holes?
One striking characteristic of many kinds of cheese is the varying number, size, and distribution of the holes. If they are particularly regular and round in shape, they are called “eyes.” While there are some kinds of cheese with a body that should be as “closed” as possible, there are others in which these holes are essential. This is definitely the case with the Emmentaler cheese, in which the formation of the holes is a clear feature of the type, and of its quality. Emmentaler has walnut-sized holes. It is considered to be one of the most difficult cheeses to be produced because of its complicated hole-forming fermentation process. So: No Emmentaler without holes, but not every kind of cheese with big holes is an Emmentaler!

Tasting Notes

Brie This creamy cheese is made with incredibly rich milk, producing a voluptuous center. Because the wild grasses and flowers flavor the milk, each has a unique flavor, influenced by the flora of a particular time and place. Its silky, unctuous texture and nutty, whipped cream flavor make it particularly good with light champagne.

Antique Emmentaler The aroma is sweet with tones of fresh-cut hay. The flavor is very fruity, not without a tone of acidity. The cheese tastes delicious with a glass of wine, for example Jura Blanc. For more in depth wine pairings please visit our wine club website at www.winemonthclub.com.

Stilton Milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, Stilton has a rich and mellow flavor, and a pungent aftertaste. Excellent for crumbling over salads or as a dessert cheese, served with a Port Wine.