See also: Roquefort

The roquefort is a French cheese with the believed milk of ewe of the area of the Causses of the Aveyron. It profits from a label of origin since 1925, from a AOC since 1979 and from a AOP since 1996.

Area of development

Its area of milk collection is limited to a zone located in a radius of approximately 100 km around the village of Roquefort-on-Soulzon, located near the town of Millau. This zone includes/understands whole or part of the department S of the Lozere, of the Aveyron, the Tarn, the Aude, the Herault and the Gard. On the other hand, the zone of Affinage is circumscribed with the only commune of Roquefort-on-Soulzon and even limited to the zone of collapse of the rock of Combalou: a 2 km long fall out of 300 m broad. Indeed, the depression of cliff created natural cellars at the temperature and the quite precise hygroscopy. A natural ventilation is ensured by cracks in the rock: fleurines. These are the characteristics which give the characteristic of the cellars of Roquefort, and the inimitable taste of its cheese.

It is a cheese with the ewe's milk of the race Lacaune, the only ones to have known to adapt to the rigorous climatic conditions, marked by sharp variations of temperature. They are nourished of grass, fodder and cereals which must come for at least 75% from the geographical surface. Except wintry time, the pasture in the open air is obligatory.

The cheese

It is a blue-veined cheese with an average weight of 2,5 kg.

It comes from Lait of ewe believed and whole, Caillé and moulded in Pain.

Stages being able to take place in all the surface of name:

• Emprésurage and sowing in Penicillium roqueforti
• Coagulation of milk
• Cutting and mixing of the Curdled.
• Pré draining
• Moulage
• Egouttage moulds some without pressing
• Démoulage
• Salage with dry salt. (not of bath of Brine)
• Pricking: the cheese is transpersé to air the interior and to support the development of the mould. This operation takes place maximum 48 hours before the beginning of the Affinage in cellar.

Stage taking place obligatorily in the cellars of Roquefort:

• Refining three months including 14 days at least with naked. Then, they can be wrapped in sheets of tin.

Its period of optimal tasting is spread out April at October after a Affinage 5 months, but it is also excellent from March to December.

The legend

A shepherd of formerly, preferring to run the women rather than to deal with his ewes, would have forgotten of them in a cave his snack made up of bread and cheese of ewe. By finding it a few months later, the Penicillium roqueforti had made its work, transforming cheese into Roquefort…

Medical use

The Penicillium , Antibiotic natural, is at the origin of the blue of cheese. Before the discovery of the Penicillin by Alexander Fleming, the shepherds had as a practice to treat the wounds, by applying this cheese to it, in order to avoid the Gangrène. Before modern medicine, and the discovery of the Microbe S, the doctors fought actively against this method of countryside, which they showed of charlatanism and dangerous. It was necessary to await the discovery of the properties of the penicillin contained in the roquefort so that contemporary medicine recognizes the good sense of the shepherds.

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