[Sca-cooks] Blue Cheese

[Suey]

Stefan wrote:
> I thought blue cheese was from cow's milk.
>
>  
>   
in his next posting he cites his message Charles-Chees-art which states 
that blue cheese is from ewe's milk.
This surprises me because the never ending issue between Roquefort and 
Cabrales is who invented blue cheese. Either French pilgrims from 
Roquefort on the Way of St. James learned the art of making it from the 
Asturians or the Asturians learned it from them.
Cabrales, queso cabraliego, Spain’s major blue-veined cheese is made 
with mixture of over 1/3 each of ewes and goats’ milk and the remaining 
part is cow’s milk. It is a soft cheese spread on bread or beaten with 
cider or diced and eaten alone as a snack or dessert. This is mixed as 
each animal is milked. Formerly, it was put in the stomach of a recently 
slaughtered goat as the rennin in its stomach contained casein. Today 
special tubs are used which consist of double sides and are hallow in 
the middle. Hot water is run through them, which initiates the curdling 
process. The name for this cheese is derived from "cabra", goat and 
Cabrales, one of the localities where it is made. It is made at mountain 
farms in Asturias, mainly around Cabrales and Penamellera Alta. It is a 
strong-smelling cheese with a powerful flavor. The paste is an uneven 
dull white with yellow-brown patches and irregular blue-brown patches 
and irregular veining. The rind is grayish-red and crusty and was 
wrapped in sycamore leaves before the invention of plastic bags. As it 
must be cured in humid and ventilated conditions, it is taken to the 
natural caves facing north in limestone mountains of karst formation 
with fissures, sinkholes and underground drainage. The process takes 
about six months or more depending on the degree of maturity desired. 
Today in the mountains around Cabrales and Cordiñanes (León) this 
tradition continues.
Suey