Roquefort

Roquefort: Nutrition, History and Cooking Guide

Roquefort is one of the world's most ancient and prestigious blue cheeses, made exclusively from the raw milk of Lacaune sheep and matured in the natural Combalou caves near the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron department of southern France. It holds the oldest PDO protection in France, established by a parliamentary decree in 1411 — over six centuries of protected status. The caves of Combalou are extraordinary natural structures, a collapsed mountain riddled with fissures (known as fleurines) through which cool, damp, steady-temperature air circulates year-round, providing exactly the conditions needed to develop the blue mould Penicillium roqueforti — originally gathered from the bread naturally moulding in the caves — and to mature the sheep's milk curds into one of the world's most complex and powerful cheeses. Roquefort has been celebrated for centuries by European royalty and intellectuals — Charlemagne is said to have been served it during a visit to a monastery; Casanova wrote of it admiringly; Brillat-Savarin called it the "cheese of cheeses." Its flavour is intense, salty, pungent, complex, and sweet from the sheep's milk — distinctive and unmistakable.

Nutritional Value of Roquefort

Roquefort provides 369 kcal and 21.5 g of protein per 100 g, with 30.6 g of fat. Calcium at approximately 662 mg per 100 g is very high. It provides vitamin A, B12, phosphorus, and zinc. The sodium content is very high (approximately 1.8 g per 100 g) from the salting process. The fat includes compounds from the Penicillium mould activity including short-chain fatty acids that contribute to its flavour.

How to Use Roquefort

Roquefort's intense flavour means a small amount transforms a dish. Crumble over a watercress and pear salad with walnuts for a classic combination. Use in a rich cream sauce for steak. Stir into pasta with walnuts and a splash of cream. Use in a blue cheese and leek quiche. On a cheese board, serve with Sauternes or late-harvest wine — the sweetness of the wine is the perfect contrast to Roquefort's salt and intensity. Store wrapped in foil in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving to allow the full flavour complexity to develop.