🧀 Roquefort
Also known as: Roquefort AOP, Roquefort cheese, Roquefort PDO
A French PDO blue cheese from raw Lacaune ewe's milk, ripened only in the caves of Mount Combalou at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
Roquefort is a French blue cheese made from raw whole ewe's milk, veined with the mould Penicillium roqueforti. The milk comes only from Lacaune ewes, and the cheese ripens only in the caves of Mount Combalou at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (Aveyron). In 1925 Roquefort became the first French cheese with a designation of origin.
How it is made. The milk is curdled with rennet at 28–34 °C no later than 48 hours after the earliest milking, and Penicillium roqueforti cultures grown from traditional cave strains are added. The curd is neither pressed nor cooked; it is dry-salted and pierced so the mould gets air. The cheese spends at least two weeks unwrapped in the caves and ripens for at least 90 days in all.
The caves. The caves are cut into the scree below the limestone cliffs of Combalou. Through fissures called «fleurines» comes cool, damp air: it is chilled by the rock and moistened by groundwater, creating the microclimate in which Penicillium roqueforti developed. In 1961 a court in Millau fixed the ripening zone; the cheese may be cut and packed only in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The milk is collected over most of Aveyron and parts of Aude, Lozère, Gard, Hérault and Tarn.
What it is like and where it comes from. A wheel is a cylinder 19–20 cm across and 8.5–11.5 cm high, weighing 2.5–3 kg, with at least 52% fat in dry matter. The paste is creamy and evenly veined blue-green. Roquefort is mentioned in 1070 in the cartulary of Conques Abbey; in 1666 the Parliament of Toulouse confirmed Roquefort's privileges dating back to Charles VI, and Diderot and d'Alembert called it «the king of cheeses».
Roquefort or Gorgonzola? Both are blue cheeses, but Roquefort is a French PDO made only from raw whole ewe’s milk, while Gorgonzola has its own Italian specification. The two are not interchangeable under their rules. Roquefort or any other blue cheese? Only Roquefort is made from the milk of Lacaune ewes, ripened for at least 90 days with a stay of at least two weeks unwrapped in the Combalou caves, and cut and packed in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The curd is not pressed or cooked, only dry-salted and pierced.
Look for the name “Roquefort” in lettering at least two-thirds the size of the largest on the pack, with the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin; the French label says AOP) alongside. A wheel weighs 2.5–3 kg, so shops usually sell wedges wrapped in foil or film. You will find it at supermarket cheese counters, in delicatessens and at cheesemongers; a blue cheese without this name and symbol is a different product.
Why it matters to you. On the label, the name «Roquefort» must be at least two-thirds the size of the largest lettering, with the EU PDO symbol alongside. Roquefort is made from raw milk, so the NHS advises pregnant women to eat soft blue cheeses only when cooked until steaming hot. It is served with pears and walnuts, in sauces and in salads.
Facts
Cheese
Roquefort belongs to blue cheeses and to protected cheese names: it is a French PDO and in 1925 became the first cheese protected by its origin. It is made from raw whole sheep's milk curdled with rennet and inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti; the cheeses are pierced so the mould gets air, and they ripen only in the caves of Mont Combalou. Tip: serve Roquefort at room temperature with pear, walnuts and a sweet wine.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 30.6 g |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.0 g |
| Energy | 369 kcal |
| Calcium | 662 mg |
How it connects to milk
🧀 Roquefort → made from → 🥛 Sheep's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Roquefort → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Sheep's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Ripening
- Traditions
- 🌍 Western Europe, 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese, 🔵 Blue cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇫🇷 French cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Gorgonzola, 🧀 Cabrales, 🧀 Stilton, 🧀 Danablu, 🧀 Camembert
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Cave cellar, 🍷 Sweet wine, 🍷 Noble rot
Frequently asked questions
Roquefort or Stilton and other blue cheeses: how do I tell them apart on a UK shelf?
Look for “Roquefort” in lettering at least two-thirds the size of the largest on the pack, with the EU PDO symbol. A blue cheese without that name and symbol is a different product.
Is Roquefort always made from ewe’s milk, unlike cow’s-milk blues?
Yes. It comes only from raw whole milk of Lacaune ewes, from Aveyron and parts of Aude, Lozère, Gard, Hérault and Tarn.
Why is Roquefort sold in wedges, and how big is a whole wheel?
A wheel is 19–20 cm across and weighs 2.5–3 kg, so shops usually cut wedges and wrap them in foil or film.
What does the NHS say about Roquefort in pregnancy?
Roquefort is made from raw milk, so the NHS advises pregnant women to eat soft blue cheeses only when cooked until steaming hot.
What goes well with Roquefort in a salad or on a cheeseboard?
It is served with pears and walnuts, and used in sauces and salads.
Guides
What to read next
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
- 🍷 Noble rot — A beneficial form of the fungus Botrytis cinerea on ripe berries: the skin becomes permeable, water evaporates and the juice concentrates several times over.
- 🧀 Cabrales — Cabrales is a Spanish PDO blue-veined cheese from Asturias, made from raw whole cow's, sheep's or goat's milk, or a mixture, and ripened mostly in caves.
Similar
🧀 Bleu d'Auvergne · 🧀 Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura · 🧀 Bleu des Causses · 🧀 Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage · 🧀 Halloumi · 🧀 Fourme d'Ambert
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.