Stilton
February 14, 2008
Country and region of origin: England – Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Milk: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Age: 2 – 3 months
Rind: Edible, natural
Creamery: Cropwell Bishop
Creamery website: www.cropwellbishopstilton.com
Properties: About 10″ tall and 8 1/2″ in diameter, Stilton is a hefty wheel with a brownish-red mold rind and a creamy, richly veined paste.
Uses: You know how people are always talking about how wonderful cheeses are with fruit? Stilton is perfect with fruit (apples and pears, for instance). Stilton is also a fine cooking cheese – making a big impact in savory tarts and quiches, in sauces or in pastries. Try melting a bit of Stilton on a well-aged steak fresh off the grill.
Wine Pairings: Any big red wine. Port and sherry are classic pairings.
Production notes: The process for making Stilton is protected by British legislation (Stilton being the only cheese for which this is true). The standards are exacting and so there are only a handful of creameries making it. Quoting from the Stilton Cheese Makers website:
Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and made according to a strict code may be called Stilton. There are just six dairies licensed to make Stilton. They are subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011.
- To be called Stilton, each cheese must:
- Be made only in the three counties from local milk which is pasteurized before use
- Be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape
- Be allowed to form its own crust or coat
- Be un-pressed
- Have delicate blue veins radiating from the centre
- Have a taste profile typical of Stilton.
Stilton is innoculated using penicillium roqueforti.
Testimonials:
Steven Jenkins – Cheese Primer:
The flavor of a great Stilton cheese is full, rich, and creamy, as complex as that of any other great blue. It reveals layers and folds of the flavors of honey, leather, tobacco, and molasses…. Stilton’s aroma is huge and spicy at room temperature… Many lovers of Stilton voraciously devour the natural crust.
Max McCallman – Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best:
It would be hard to argue with the assertion that Stilton is Great Britain’s number one cheese… It’s style may not be as ancient as other traditional blues, but a good Stilton remains one of the most requested cheeses on the planet.
