How to Identify Stilton Cheese
Stilton cheese is traditionally a cheese created in the United Kingdom as their country's blue cheese. Commonly known to Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Stilton cheese is considered Britain's favorite blue cheese. Stilton has a creamy texture and can be eaten alone, with crackers or with biscuits. Many people even spread Stilton cheese on bread with peanut butter! Here's how to identify Stilton cheese. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Inspect the cheese. Stilton cheese has a distinct off-white appearance with bluish veins radiating from the center of the cheese wheel. The more mature a Stilton cheese becomes, the more crumbly and mellow it becomes.
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Look for the official British Stilton label of authenticity. Only the three counties mentioned previously are licensed to sell this blue cheese under the name of Stilton. Although Stilton is a county in England, Stilton County does not produce licensed Stilton cheese.
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Taste the Stilton cheese. Traditional Stilton has a crumbly texture in its youngest stage to a buttery smooth texture and mellower flavor after aging another 5 to 6 weeks. Similar to a traditional blue cheese, Stilton will have a strong, nutty flavor with rich overtones.
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Make certain the Stilton cheese has been allowed to age naturally without the "pressing" process associated with similar cheeses. Stilton is placed in its forms to settle over time and is not squeezed to remove moisture. This allows a "layered" effect throughout the cheese.
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Ensure that the coat or crust of the Stilton cheese wheel is solid all the way around. Stilton forms a thin crust when aging that allows the "bluing" process for the cheese.
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Tips & Warnings
History records many instances of Stilton eaters pouring port wine into the freshly cut cheese wheel to moisten young, dryer Stilton. Pair Stilton cheese with a robust wine, such as port, to complement its aggressive taste.
Slice Stilton for an after-dinner finisher with a good port or red wine, along with nuts and some fresh pear slices, to satisfy the palette of any diner.
Be aware that American Stilton-like cheeses are not allowed to contain the amount of bacteria the proper British Stilton has due to strict regulation.
