After ripened cheeses can be categorized by their texture. These categories include firm, semi firm, semi soft and soft. And addition categorization is Blue veined cheeses. Blue veined cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Blue Cheese are best used as dressings on salads, melted on meats, snacking, and desserts.
Blue cheese get their distinguished characteristic, the blue tinged marks or lines, due to the Penicillium cultures that are added. The blue, or sometimes green, marks are actually the mold which is what gives the cheese its trademark smell.
Bleu d’Auvergne: France; Bleu d’Auvergne is a soft blue cheese made from cow’s milk and aged for two months. It is not very salty, compared to most blues, and is creamy with a buttery flavor.
Blue de Gex: France; Blue de Gex is a semi-soft blue cheese made from cow’s milk. It is aged at least three weeks and is known for its creaminess.
Blue Castello: Denmark; Blue Castell is a soft blue cheese made from cows milk. It has a spicy kick to the flavor and comes in a black and white variety.
Cabrales: Spain; Cabrales is a semi-firm blue cheese. It is made from cow’s milk with a slightly acidic flavor.
Cambozola: Germany; Cambozola is a soft cows milk cheese. It is known as the blue Brie and has a milder flavor than Gorgonzola.
Cashel Bleu: Ireland; Cashel Bleu is the first Irish cheese. It is not as salty as other blue cheeses. It is semi soft and aged 8-14 weeks.
Danish Blue: Denmark; Danish blue cheese is a semi soft, cow’s milk cheese. It has a salty and sharp flavor and is aged 8-12 weeks.
Fourme d’ Ambert: France; Fourme d’Ambert is a semi hard, cows’s milk cheese. It is aged 1-4 months
Gorgonzola: Italy; Gorgonzola is one of the more popular blue cheeses. It is made from cow and goat’s milk. It has a soft texture and salty flavor. Gorgonzola is aged 3-4 months.
Maytag Blue: United States; Maytag Blue is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese produced in Newton, Iowa.
Roquefort: France; Roquefort cheese is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese. It has a tangy flavor and a moist, crumbly texture. It is aged for 3 months.
Saga Blue: Denmark; Saga Blue is a soft cow’s milk cheese. It is similar to Brie.
Saint Agur: France; Saint Agur is a soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It is aged 2 months and has a mild, yet, spicy flavor.
Shropshire Blue: United Kingdom; Shropshire Blue is made from cows milk. It is also known as Inverness-shire Blue. It is aged 10-12 weeks and has a sharp and tangy flavor.
Stilton: England; Stilton is a semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It is aged at least 9 weeks; Stilton is the only English blue protected under trademark.
Valdeon: Spain; Valdeon is made from cows or goats milk; It is a semi soft cheese, aged 2-3 weeks. Valdeon is known for its intense flavor.
