# Blue Cheese (or is it Blu?)



## Constance (Nov 22, 2005)

A butcher told me years ago that blue cheese has natural penicillin in it. Does anyone know if that's true? And is it blu or blue?


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## crewsk (Nov 22, 2005)

I don't know about the penicillin, but I think it's actually spelled bleu.


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## Robt (Nov 22, 2005)

Blue or bleu if you speak it in French cheese is many types of milk turned to cheese and inoculated or sprayed with a mold, either Penicillium roqueforti or P. glaucum.  These are molds and while they May be relatives of common bread mold I doubt they are the same species of mold nor does the cheese maker manufacture them into Penicillin.

There are incredible numbers of blue cheeses now made thru out the world that really expand the blue horizon.


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## amber (Nov 22, 2005)

Yep, bleu is the correct spelling.  I think there is penicillin in certain cheese having to do the with mold content? Michael can probably add to this.


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## GB (Nov 22, 2005)

My understanding of the spelling is the if it is a French cheese then it is bleu, but if it is a non French cheese then it is blue.


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## Brooksy (Nov 22, 2005)

Blue, bleu or blu matters not. It is still my favorite cheese. 

IMHO the butcher got his terms mixed up. 

_Penicillium notatum _is (the original) penicillin. Too much & it will make you sooooo crook.

Thank goodness! I've scoffed down so much blue, bleu or blu cheese, I should be dead.

All other cheeses fade into insignificance, or cower in fear of the blue cheese.  (imho of course)

[SIZE=+2]http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/penicillin.html
This link has a good explanation of the antibiotic.
[/SIZE]


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## BigDog (Nov 22, 2005)

Blue, Bleu, Blu, whatever, it is far from my top ten cheese list. Tried it once (I'll typically try anything once, but there are a few exceptions) and strongly disliked the taste. Y'all can have any of it that I get!

My dad loves it, though.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 23, 2005)

_Penicillin_ is an antibiotic drug derived from _Penicillium chrysogenum_ (also known as _Penicillium notatum_). _Penicillium _is a family (_genus_) of fungus/mold that has several members (_species_) - some good, some not so good, some deadly. 

There are other pathogenic species of genus _Penicillium_ that you don't want to eat or inhale - the storage molds on bread and on cheese, such as _Penicillium cyclopium_ and _Penicillium_ _viridicatum,_ for just a couple of examples, the black molds in a building that has been damp, etc.

The Cheese Molds: These are the good bugs!

The blue molds _Penicillium roqueforti, _obvious one - Roquefort cheese, _Penicillium glaucum, _what makes Stilton and Gorgonzola so special, and the white mold _Penicillium camemberti _which gives us Camambert, Brie, and Neufchatel.

_And just think - when you had to study taxonomy in biology you just knew it was something that you would never use!_

Oh, yeah - bleu is the French spelling for blue. In French cooking, it's also a term/technique for an undercooked steak.


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## Robt (Nov 23, 2005)

Just for a treat, if you can get any, try Rogue River Creamery's Rogue River Blue. I had a tasting of the 04 and 05 side by side this weekend. I had had both alone before, 04 won this but the product is so good, who cares which year. BTW, these keep nicely at 33 degrees in the food saver packages for as much as 2 years.

Isn't it fun how much you people canteach me, it sure is from this side.


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## Piccolina (Nov 23, 2005)

> _Penicillin_ is an antibiotic drug derived from _Penicillium chrysogenum_ (also known as _Penicillium notatum_). _Penicillium _is a family (_genus_) of fungus/mold that has several members (_species_) - some good, some not so good, some deadly.
> 
> There are other pathogenic species of genus _Penicillium_ that you don't want to eat or inhale - the storage molds on bread and on cheese, such as _Penicillium cyclopium_ and _Penicillium_ _viridicatum,_ for just a couple of examples, the black molds in a building that has been damp, etc.
> 
> ...


Love your explination Michael, very concise! I'm not on the other hand, a big fan of blue cheese


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## Ishbel (Nov 23, 2005)

Have you tried Cashel Blue since you've lived in Ireland? It's one of my favourite blue cheeses. All that creamy Irish milk going to make a wonderful cheese. YUM 

I love two Scottish blue cheese - Lanark and Howden - served on home made oatcakes ... scrumptious.


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## Piccolina (Nov 23, 2005)

Hi Ish, that cheese is very famous and popular here, but I do not think I've tried it. I'm not a blue cheese person at all, but I might try an nibble just to experience such a well renouned Irish cheese


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## Ishbel (Nov 23, 2005)

It's a really 'creamy' type of blue cheese - I'm sure you'd enjoy it.  I first tried it many years ago at Darina Allen's cookery school at Ballymaloe.  Been hooked on it, ever since!


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## mish (Nov 23, 2005)

Bleu looks *Blue* to me.  

http://www.foodsubs.com/Cheblue.html

For penicillin, I reach way in the back of the fridge for my *GREEN* fuzzy cheese.


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## Constance (Nov 24, 2005)

Thank you all for the great info! I learn a lot from my friends!


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## urmaniac13 (Nov 25, 2005)

Thanks Michael for the penicillin information, I was never even aware of bleu-blu-blue cheese & penicillin connection.  it was a lesson of the day.... any way how it is spelled I don't think it is so important, it is just that bleu is French, Blue is English and Blu is Italian (though here in italy, it is almost always "Gorgonzola"...)
I thought I never liked this type of cheese, but I found out they are much more pleasant (to me, or should I say "accessible" to those who are rather wary of the "mold" factor...) when they are cooked.  I found it absolutely delicious in 4 cheese (quattro formaggi) sauce, or quiche or other savoury pies.  For those who are irked by eating them as is, I recommend trying them this way, this may come as a delicious surprise!!


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## mudbug (Nov 28, 2005)

To all cheese that's bleu or blue I say blech!  Sorry, just my undereducated palate doing the posting here today.


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## jennyema (Nov 28, 2005)

Love them ALL but *Maytag* is my favorite.


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## ironchef (Nov 28, 2005)

I like Cabrales and Point Reyes


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## buckytom (Nov 29, 2005)

if you are adventurous, try making blue cottage cheese. that is open a container of cottage cheese, remove a spoonful and mix in a chunk of blue cheese. be sure to put in a chunk of cheese that has a good vein of the blue color. then close it up and put it in the fridge for a few days. you'll end up with the blue veins, and flavor, running through the now creamier cottage cheese.
mind you, there are lots of warnings against doing this, because you can grow other more dangerous bacteria and fungi in it. but if you like to experiment, and don't have a weak immune system or a weak stomach, give it a go.


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## Brooksy (Nov 29, 2005)

mudbug said:
			
		

> To all cheese that's bleu or blue I say blech! Sorry, just my undereducated palate doing the posting here today.




Poor Ms Muddy.

Bucky - I'll give it a go. If you never here from me again, you know who to blame.


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## jennyema (Nov 30, 2005)

buckytom said:
			
		

> if you are adventurous, try making blue cottage cheese. .


 

I've done this a few times unintentionally ..... 

I am not sure if I am THAT adventurous!


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