Generality
The Roquefort is a sheep's cheese which, similarly to gorgonzola, is part of the blue cheese group (blue cheese).
Since 1925, Roquefort has enjoyed "the"Appellation d "Origine"(legal protection) and, in 1996, he was awarded the trademark of"Protected Designation Origin"(PDO, analogous to our DOP).
The history of Roquefort is closely related to a popular legend; it is said that a shepherd, forgetting his white cheese together with the bread in a cave, on his return found them both moldy (the bread had contaminated the cheese). In reality, it is rather difficult to understand how Roquefort could have been born since, thanks to the detection of some archaeological finds, it has been established that its dairy production began 3,500 years before the birth of Christ.
Production
Roquefort is a cheese made EXCLUSIVELY by maturing the white product in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (Aveyron). It is produced ONLY from raw milk of purebred sheep Lacaune, fed by means of pasture, fodder and cereals (coming at least 75% from the area of origin). The spores of the microorganism are then inoculated into the milk "Penicillium Roqueforti", a mold also used in the cheese making of Camembert, of the Brie he was born in gorgonzola.
The production of Roquefort requires many phases, described with extreme precision in the specific specification; these are: introduction of rennet into milk, inoculation of the spores of Penicillium Roqueforti, curd cutting, draining / draining, dry salting and "needling"(multiple micro-drilling, carried out by hand or in an automated way); this last step is essential to give the appropriate veins from the outside to the heart of the form (a similar process is also applied to the gorgonzola).
The cheese is then left to mature for at least 90 days (up to 9 months) in caves located in the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (area delimited by the specification); these caves are characterized by constant humidity and temperature, limestone walls and natural ventilation provided by the penetration of the wind in the "Fleurines"(cracks in the walls communicating with the outside).
In summary, the unique characteristics of Camembert essentially derive from 4 inimitable factors:
- use of sheep's milk Lacaune
- mold inoculation Penicillium Roqueforti
and especially:
- process of needling
- maturing (3-9 months) in limestone caves characterized by fleurines.
Gastronomic and Nutritional Characteristics
Roquefort is a highly aromatic dairy product with a characteristic taste. It has bluish and / or greenish veins, similar to those of our gorgonzola; on the other hand, compared to the latter, the young Roquefort is ALWAYS of a more solid, uniform, elastic and less crumbly consistency; this characteristic tends to diminish in the seasoned product.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
Obviously, the substantial difference between Roquefort and gorgonzola consists in the raw material of origin, that is the milk; while French cheese is a sheep product, the Italian one derives from cow's milk. Among other things, contrary to what one might imagine, gorgonzola (despite being vaccine-based) has a MUCH more intense and pungent taste and aroma than Roquefort; nevertheless, the energy, lipid and sodium intake are greater in French cheese compared to Italian dairy product.
Roquefort is a cheese that lends itself greatly to both tasting and structuring complex recipes. In the first case it is suitable above all as a dish or as a dessert, while in the second case it excites the formulation of sauces for first courses and fondues. There is no shortage of applications in various fillings such as, for example, the "Roquefort CheeseCacke with pear jam (or pears in syrup) and Pecans'.
Roquefort is an energetic, lipid cheese, rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol; for these reasons it does not lend itself neither to the diet of the overweight subject, nor to that of the hypercholesterolemic.
Roquefort proteins are contained in good quantities, have a high biological value and should boast a prevalence of amino acids: glutamic acid, proline and leucine. The limiting amino acid is probably tryptophan (information obtained from the analysis of the milk proteins of similar cheeses).
Being rich in sodium, Roquefort is NOT suitable for diet against hypertension; on the other hand, since it contains a good portion of calcium, it can be a dish to be consumed even twice a week (especially in the age of skeletal growth).
In Roquefort there are good levels of Riboflavin (vit. B2) and vit. A (retinol).
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