Danish Blue Cheese

Danish blue cheese is made from cow’s milk and is also referred to as Danablu. This semi-soft cheese is usually sold block, drum or wedge shaped. The cheese contains distinct blue veins and the cheese is light yellow, creamy white or off white in color.

Bite into this cheese and you cannot miss the salty, biting taste and the heady, strong odor. Just like other semi-soft cheeses, Danish blue cheese comes with the edible rind. During the process of cheese formation, small copper wires or rods are inserted into the cheese curds. As the cheese ages, the blue veins form.

Penicillium roqueforti fills into the pathways formed by the rods. This bacterium is evenly distributed through the mass and the cheese is then left to age for at least twelve weeks in a dark place. Danish blue cheese thus produced contains fat between 25 and 30 percent.

History

It was in the early 20th century that Marius Boel of Denmark created this cheese as a competitor to the Roquefort cheese. Danish blue cheese was indeed equal to its rival in all aspects including aroma, texture and taste. Blue cheese was in existence much before Danish blue cheese and Roquefort cheese. The Gorgonzola originated in 879 AD and Stilton came into existence in the 18th century.

According to the history of blue cheese, its creation was quite an accident. In olden days, all types of cheeses were stored in caves along with other products that had to be refrigerated. As there were no man-made refrigeration techniques available then, products were exposed to moisture and temperature fluctuations in the caves. This resulted in the formation of molds on some of the cheeses.

A worker who probably tasted the cheese along with the mold found it to have a much better flavor, better than the original. This led to further experimentation and molds started being injected into cheese to better the texture and flavor.

Uses

In many countries, Danish blue cheese continues to be served as a snack. This cheese is an ideal accompaniment for toast or crackers. It was served as a crumbly topping with fruits or on salads. In Denmark, this cheese is served for breakfast topping breads and biscuits, or served as a snack. In recent years, Danish blue cheese and other types of blue cheeses have gained in popularity and are used as topping for baked potatoes, steaks and hamburgers.

Is Danish Blue Cheese as good as Gorgonzola, Stilton, or even Roquefort?  Quite frankly, it’s a matter of personal preference.  To know your palate’s delight, you would have to taste them all side by side.  But Danish Blue Cheese is definitely a delicious and lower-cost alternative.