Top 10 Best Blue Cheese Reviews
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Top Pick Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese – A Good Source Of Phosphorous, Calcium, and Protein
Blue cheese is a term generically used. The purpose of this term is to explain cheese that has been produced with pasteurized milk. Here, the milk can be any milk like goats’, cows’ or sheeps’ milk. The pasteurized milk is then ripened with cultures of mold penicillium. This dish is known for its pungent and sharp flavor. Even though it is a milk derivative, it is low in fat content. But, it is high in salt content. Also, the good thing about this food is that it is a good source of phosphorous, calcium and protein. Read on to gain better knowledge about this food:
What Is Blue Cheese?
You can find blue cheese in different varieties. These kinds get their typical flavor and appearance from the growth of blue mold penicillium roqueforti. Over time, varied choices of blue cheese have been developed. Each of these types will have its own features that involve milk from different animals and even produced using varied production techniques.
Danablu, Stilton, Roquefort and Gorgonzola are popular across the world. The body of blue-veined cheese is yellowish or white with blue-green veins and channels after the development and sporulation of the mold within the piercing channels. The blue cheese made using ewes’ milk will be whiter as compared to the cheese made using cow’s milk. Initially, the consistency of this food will be crumbly and first brittle. However, as time goes, they turn spreadable and softer. This happens because it starts ripening.
What Does Blue Cheese Taste Like?
Blue Cheese is generally known for its piquant and sharp flavor. This flavor is due to the activities of milk fat or mold enzymes during the ripening process. This process also produces free short-chained fatty acids and methyl ketones. Further, the flavor of different variants of blue cheese differs based on the lactones and esters. In general, blue cheese is known for its creamy texture and pungent taste. The characteristic flavor of this food is salty and sharp.
Based on the variety of blue cheese you choose, the texture and flavor will vary from sharp to softer, mildly earthy, creamy, salty, weepy and crumbly. Even, some variants are enriched with creamy taste and flavor with a bloomy rind and soft middle. Irrespective of the variant you choose, this food is characterized by spots of mold, black veins, gray, blue and green veins all through the body. If you plan to buy this food, here are certain things you will have to remember:
Some people tend to avoid blue cheese. The reason is that it is popular for its distinctively strong flavor and pungent odor. Nevertheless, the thing to remember here is that some variants have a mild flavor and odor. Also, when you choose creamy and soft blue cheese, you will find that it has lesser punch as compared to firmer options. When you go for hard cheeses, the flavor will be somewhere in the middle. On the other hand, when you opt for crumbly cheeses, they will have the strongest flavor.
Is Blue Cheese Healthy?
You will be surprised to know that blue cheese is known for its richness in nutrients. This is the reason why it brings many health benefits when you consume it. For instance, it is rich in calcium content. The calcium content in this variety of cheese is more as compared to other cheese variants as well. A single-ounce serving of blue cheese encompasses 150 mg of calcium. So, it will make your bones healthy. What more health benefits you can expect when you consume it regularly? Let us find out here:
Brings down the risk of osteoporosis
Yes, as mentioned earlier, blue cheese is rich in calcium. In turn, it will help consumers achieve better bone density. With the regular consumption of this food, it will be possible to improve bone health. Even, it is known for its ability to prevent the development of osteoporosis.
Prevents Obesity
Due to its richness in calcium content, blue cheese might help with the anti-obesity mechanism in your body. Studies show that this food can help with managing the levels of visceral fat around the abdominal area. Further, it helps with maintaining gut health as well.
Even, studies show that this blue cheese will help with the reduction of the risk of heart disease with regular consumption.
How to Make Blue Cheese Taste Good?
Irrespective of whether you love it or hate it, blue cheese has the ability to add an undeniable punch of flavor to your pizzas, pasta, sandwiches and salads. If you are staying away from this cheese for its pungent taste, you should remember that you will appreciate its taste when you add it to any recipe. When it comes to using blue cheese in your recipes, here are five ways in which you can cook and use it:
- You can melt blue cheese on the top of the burger for a great-tasting burger
- You can also turn it into a cheesy dip. Making a dip is one of the best ways to use blue cheese in your cooking.
- Making a dessert is one of the best things you can do with blue cheese without any doubt
- Melting blue cheese into a grilled cheese is yet another excellent option
- Do not forget to try it on the top of your salad.
Apart from using it as a dressing, you can use blue cheese as one of the ingredients in many dishes. As you know, cooking is an art. You can turn innovative in this part by trying out many other recipes. In turn, you can improve the taste of blue cheese and also the other dishes to which it is added as an ingredient or dressing.
What Features Should You Consider When Buying Blue Cheese?
Now, you know that blue cheese can enhance the taste of many of your dishes. But, when buying it, you should carefully consider the best features to make sure that you end up with the best product:
Organic Cheese: Blue cheese that has been prepared using organic milk and other ingredients will bring the best health benefits as compared to inorganic variants. So, before you shop for this food, it is better to check whether the pack is organic.
Choose The Mildest Blue Cheese: If you are a person, who does not like the flavor of blue cheese or whether you are planning to try it for the first time, it is better to make sure that you choose the mildest blue cheese. It will have a lesser flavor. Also, with lesser flavor, you can turn innovative and can try different recipes using the cheese. Of the different types, Danish and Gorgonzola blue cheeses are known for the mild flavor.
Instruction on how long to keep: When you buy blue cheese, check whether the package has instructions on how long you can keep it without cooking or adding to any dishes. For instance, when you take the case of softer blue cheeses, you should consume them within a week of opening. When you go for the harder variants, they can last longer for more than two to three weeks. In short, you should check whether the package has “the best before use date”. If you find the number of days is less, you can just avoid and can choose a fresher cheese pack with a longer time gap to use within.
Proper storage instruction: Further, you should check whether the blue cheese comes with proper storage instructions. When you buy it for the first time, you might not be aware of how to store it for effective usage. You might have questions on whether to refrigerate or not. So, the package should provide you the storage instruction.
Creamy, soft and spreadable: If you are particular about using blue cheese as a spread for your dishes, you should not forget to ensure that it has a creamy, soft and spreadable texture. In general, gorgonzola dolce blue cheese is known to have this type of texture. So, before you buy, it is better to check this feature, particularly if you need a spreadable and soft type of cheese.
How Much Does top-Rated Blue Cheese Cost?
You will have to spend more than $60 if you are particular about buying high-end blue cheese. But, do you wish to buy cheap blue cheese just because you are going to try it for the first time? Then, you can find affordable blue cheese at a much lesser cost. The average cost of blue cheese will vary based on size or the overall weight of the food.
Final Verdict
Women are generally known to face a reduction in their bone density with age, particularly after menopause. The good news for them is that they can prevent this from happening by taking more calcium-rich food. This is what Blue Cheese is all about. As milk is the key ingredient in this food, it is rich in calcium content. So, if you wish that your lady and your girl should stay healthy, you can consider buying this food for your family to become bone-healthy!
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