It's easy to fall in love with soft blue cheese. With its rich creamy texture, its beautiful blue-green streaks, its earthy aroma, and its sharp peppery flavor, soft blue cheese is a treat for all the senses.
In Wisconsin, we'll admit to a pretty hard crush on soft blue cheese. We get a little giddy when whipping it into our baked mac and cheese or dolloping it on our baked potatoes. We smile secretly as we spoon it over grilled meats, and our hearts beat faster at the site of a hearty cracker loaded with soft blue cheese. Some say our infatuation will end one day. But we're pretty sure our love for soft blue cheese is here to stay.
Take a spin through our website to meet some fabulous-looking blue cheeses from Wisconsin. Search our recipes for dishes that make soft blue cheese shine. Or read on to learn about different types of blue cheese and what pairs well with this beautiful variety.
Don't get the wrong idea about soft blue cheese – this full-flavored variety is no pushover. Its strong personality needs food and beverage buddies that can hold their own.
Soft blue cheese adds pep and kick to all kinds of dishes. Stir it into mashed potatoes, slather it on grilled steaks, or fold it into a cream-based sauce for a hot pasta. Whip it with mayo and sour cream for a homemade blue cheese dressing. Or mix it with a little mascarpone and spread it on freshly cut, ripe fig halves for an unbelievable taste sensation.
On cheese trays, a soft blue loves to hang out with slices of pears and apples, dried fruits, chutneys, onion jam, and figs drizzled and honey.
For wine, think about hearty reds that can match a soft blue's flavor profile step for step. A cabernet, malbec, zinfandel, or chianti will do nicely, or riesling if you're in the mood for white. And blue cheese loves bubbles and prosecco as much as anyone.
Fruit beer, stout, weiss beer, porter and Belgian ales can all make a soft blue cheese smile. And for the hard stuff, soft blue cheese prefers the company of port, madeira, tequila reposado or tequila añejo.
Soft blue cheese is a creamy cheese where blue cheese mold is added to the curds during the cheesemaking process. The mold is allowed to grow in veins and spots within the cheese wheel, producing the sharp, pungent, earthy flavors that are the hallmark of blue cheese.
A soft or creamy blue cheese can be made by adding cream to the curd as the cheese is made. Soft blue cheese is typically a younger cheese that is not aged for long. In contrast, a crumbly blue cheese is aged for a longer period of time to reduce the moisture content and create a denser, more crumbly curd. A blue cheese crumble can be sprinkled easily atop burgers, pasta, and salads to add a sharp, rich flavor.
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So what if soft blue cheese was originally born in France? Or Italy. Or someone else across the pond. Soft blues have made a good home right here in Wisconsin.
In fact, our cheesemakers have practically turned soft blue cheese into an art form. Every time you turn around there's a new blue cheese winning another award – and winning the hearts of cheese lovers everywhere. Of course, that's what you expect from a state that's been perfecting Old World recipes for 180 years and inventing all kinds of new cheeses along the way. That's why we have so many dang awards on our mantle – 5,552 and counting – which is more than any other state or country in the world. (Not bragging, just saying.)
So next time you're picking up some soft blue cheese, make sure it was made right here in Wisconsin. That's when you know you're really getting a masterpiece in blue-green cheese.
Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?
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