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I. M. Dovgun
M. Shadura
National
University of Food Technologies, Kyiv, Ukraine
Danish Blue Cheese
Danish Blue Cheese was created by Marius Boel in
Denmark in the 20th century. It was meant to rival the taste, texture and aroma
of Roquefort cheese, which was reportedly invented in 1070 AD. Famous
predecessors to Roquefort and Danish blue cheese include Stilton, which can be
traced back to the 18th century, and Gorgonzola, generally considered the
oldest blue cheese, thought to have originated in around 879 AD. Interestingly,
history indicates that Gorgonzola did not have its distinguishing blue veins
until the 11th century.
Culinary accounts of blue cheese history indicate it
was most likely an accidental occurrence. A particularly popular legend is that
a young shepherd, caring for his abundant sheep in the hills of Roquefort,
France, spotted a beautiful maiden far off in the distance while having his
lunch. He hastily turned his sheep over to the care of his dog and ran to the
closest cave to leave his unattended lunch of bread and ewe’s milk curds in a
safe, cool place. He ran as quickly as he could to chase after the fair lass.
He searched tireless for days, but alas, he could not find her. Exhausted,
despondent and starving he returned to his sheep and the caves where he’d
placed his lunch. He was taken aback when he saw his bread and cheese had grown
quite mouldy. However, hunger overtook the shepherd and he ate his old, mouldy
lunch anyway. He was quite pleasantly surprised by the delicious flavour. And
so it’s said this was the birth of Roquefort cheese.
The story is that caves were used to store many types
of cheeses and other products that required refrigeration since there were no
types of man-made refrigeration techniques available. When the temperatures and
moisture levels in the caves fluctuated, moulds reportedly formed on some of
the cheeses. Instead of cutting the mould off of some of the cheese, a worker
tasted it and found it had improved the original flavour of the product.
Further experimentation found that inserting the mould into the cheese produced
even better flavour and texture.
For years, Danish blue cheese was served in many
countries mainly as a snack accompanied by crackers or toast, a crumbly topping
for salads or with fruit as part of the dessert course. It is traditional in
Denmark to top biscuits and breads with Danish blue cheese and serve it for
breakfast or as a snack. This cheese, along with other varieties of blue
cheese, has gained popularity in recent years as a topping for hamburgers,
steaks and baked potatoes as well.
So why in the world is the top selling Blue cheese in
North America from Denmark and not from France, the home of Blue cheese? In the
1920s, a Dane named Marius Boel discovered an innovation to improve the taste
of classic French sheep’s milk blue cheese Roquefort, by substituting cow milk
for sheep’s milk. The result was a creamier, richer, and fuller flavoured cheese-
Danish Blue, basically Roquefort made from cow’s milk. It’s also easier to
make, cows produce a lot more milk than sheep do. Danish Blue cheese was first
manufactured in 1927. This blue cheese is inoculated with Penicillum
Roqueforti, and is made from whole pasteurized cow’s milk. The Blue culture is
added right into the cheese milk. Like other blues the culture requires a lot
of oxygen to develop correctly, thus the cheeses are pierced with stainless
steel needles, which leave a large number of air ducts. When you cut open this
cheese you can see the blue lines running through the paste where it was
pierced. The culture develops from the inside towards the surface of the
cheese. After approximately one month, the cheese is ripe and ready to go.
There are such types of Danish Cheese:
Blue Castello which is made from cow milk and shaped
like a half-moon. Blue Castello is a creamy cheese. Enriched in cream, it has
blue colour in the form of fairly thick horizontal lines.
Cream Havarti is the most famous cheese of Denmark.
Cream Havarti is a semi-soft and is characterized by being both table cheese
and dessert cheese. It is also available in flavours, such as dill, jalapeno,
pepper, garlic and herbs.
Danablu (Danish Blue) is also called Marmora. Danablu is
a block shaped cheese and has a sharp, almost metallic taste. The cheese tastes
very creamy in the mouth. It is used as a table cheese and it works very well
with salads.
Danbo is a rectangular-shaped cheese that has smooth,
dry, yellow rind and is sometimes covered with red wax. One of the most popular
Danish cheeses, it has a pale, elastic interior, with a few small holes.
Danish Fontina is pale yellow in colour and, has a
semi-soft texture with a mild sweet flavour. The cheese is great as table
cheese, sandwich cheese and also goes well with light wine.
Esrom is made from cow milk. Esrom has a mild,
pleasant taste. It is rectangular in shape with smooth, sticky, pale yellow colour.
Some varieties of the Esrom cheese are stronger in flavour and contain garlic,
pepper or onion.
Fynbo comes from the island of Fyn Fynbo. Fynbo
cheese is produced with pasteurized milk and ferments. Typically, it is shaped
like a cylinder.
Havarti is named after the farm in Denmark.
Havarti is a traditional, creamery cheese with semi-soft texture. It is a
simple, washed-rind cheese with irregular holes throughout. The cheese is also
available in an enriched version with added cream, which is softer and feels
more luxurious in the mouth. There is also a version with caraway seeds.
Maribo is named after the town in the island of
Lolland. Maribo cheese is creamery and semi-hard in nature. Maribo has a firm,
dry interior with numerous irregular holes. It is usually coated in yellow wax
and is sometimes flavoured with caraway seeds.
Molbo is made from cow milk. Molbo cheese is
semi-hard in texture. The Molbo cheese is made in Danish region of Mols. It is
a table cheese that has a delicate, light flavour.
Mycella is a Danish version of Gorgonzola, with
blue-green mould and mild aromatic taste. Mycella is a creamery, blue cheese
which is made from cow’s milk. It is a table cheese used for snacks or to
salads. Though the interiors of the cheese have a pale buttery look, it is
attractive on the outside.
Saga is an amalgamation of blue cheese and brie. Saga is a
creamy, blue-veined cheese that has a white-mould rind. Mild to taste, it is an
excellent dessert cheese and is served with fruit and wine. It also works well
in salads and on a cracker.
Samso is named after the island of Samso. Samso
cheese has a supple, elastic texture, with a few irregular-sized holes. Made
from pasteurized cow’s milk, it comes in the shape of disks or blocks
The best way to store Danish Blue cheese is in a clean, cool and dry
place. The environment in which the cheese is stored should prevent
contamination by pathogenic bacteria.
References:
1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cheese
2.
http://www.nationalhistoriccheesemakingcenter.org/cheesemaking-history.aspx.