Blue cheese is a fermented cheese renowned for its strong flavor and blue marbled coloring. Cheesemakers create blue cheese using Penicillium roqueforti mold cultures. which is responsible for its distinct taste, smell, and appearance.
Cheesemakers mix the mold spores with milk to begin the fermentation process. After the cheese forms into a solid shape, the cheesemaker pierces it with stainless steel needles to create pathways for air to flow.
Penicillium roqueforti strain has been specifically chosen for cheese because it adds flavor. These penicillin moulds are completely harmless in cheese making because unlike other types of mold, the types of Penicillium used to produce blue cheese do not produce mycotoxins and are considered safe to consume.
Penicillium roqueforti produces enzymes that release amino acids, which quickly break down the cheese's proteins (casein). Called proteolysis, this makes the cheese creamy, particularly near where the amino acids are most active — the gray, blue veins.
As the blue veins develop, they enhance the flavor of the cheese. Penicillium roqueforti itself (and the enzymes it releases) aggressively breaks down the fat and protein in the cheese to give the texture, flavour and aroma associated with blue cheese: sharp, strong and piquant.
The mold in blue cheese
