Blue… Before and After

Almost always strong in aroma and flavor, blue cheeses are salty by nature and can pack a serious punch. One of the many things I love about blue cheese, though, has nothing to do with its flavor.

Cheese is truly alive, each delectable piece chock-full of healthy bacteria and/or mold. This is why cheese should never be stored in tight plastic wrap – it will literally suffocate. Nowhere is this more apparent than within blue cheese, which is filled with the very mold that grows on bread. Living happily within the cheese, it bides its time until it is exposed air. Then… BOOM!

Cutting into a new wheel of blue cheese is one of the surest ways to watch cheese life in motion. On the left is a wheel immediately after being cut in half. Notice the presence of the “veins” of mold, but also notice that they are more yellowy-green than blue. BUT, mere minutes later, after they have taken some nice deep breaths, those same veins have exploded in color, giving blue cheese the name it so rightly deserves.

So, the next time you need a reminder that (good) food is life, grab a hunk-o-blue and dig in!