Unlike many traditional British cheeses such as cheddar, the production of Stilton cheese is carefully controlled in a similar way to French Cheeses that bear the label Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or AOC. Stilton bears the European Commission Label, "Protected Designation Origin” (PDO). Other well known foods which bear the PDO label are Parma Ham and Cornish Clotted Cream.
Characteristics of Stilton Cheese
Stilton is a strongly flavored blue cheese with a dry, smooth texture. It is widely eaten at Christmas time in Britain, where the rich flavor of Stilton is often enjoyed with a glass of port. A white Stilton is also produced, but it is much rarer and little known.
Stilton Compared to Roquefort
- Both Stilton and Roquefort are made with the micro-organism Penicillium roqueforti which gives them both their blue veins and distinctive “blue cheese” flavor.
- Roquefort is the creamier of the two, Stilton is drier.
- The ewes’ milk used to make Roquefort is unpasteurized; whereas the cows’ milk used to produce Stilton cheese is pasteurized.
How is Stilton Made?
Strict guidelines on how Stilton Cheese is made are imposed by the PDO label:
- Stilton Cheese is manufactured in the English Counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
- The milk for the cheese must also be sourced from these counties, unless there is a shortage of milk available from these areas, in which case milk may be sourced from certain surrounding counties.
- The cheese is made in large cylindrical moulds, which give the finished cheese its characteristic shape of a very large, flat cylinder.
- Blue Stilton is sold at a minimum age of 6 weeks, Mature Blue at a minimum of 10 weeks and Vintage Blue at a minimum of 15 weeks.
History of Stilton Cheese
Wonderful Blue Stilton Cheese became well known when it was served in the town of Stilton, in Cambridgeshire. The town of Stilton enjoyed a large number of visitors thanks to its position on regular coaching routes between London and Scotland and the North of England, and the reputation of the cheese thus spread. However the cheese has never been produced in the town of Stilton, despite bearing its name!
Storing, Serving and Using Stilton
- Stilton should be carefully wrapped, and not stored for too long, to avoid drying in the refrigerator.
- As with all cheeses, Stilton benefits from being served at room temperature to yield the full depth of the cheese’s flavor, however take care not to compromise food hygiene by warming and cooling foods.
- Stilton is often used in soups, particularly broccoli soup. Crumble the cheese and add just before serving; do not reboil the soup once the cheese has been added as this would impair the flavor.
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