Description
The Bleu des Causses PDO is a cheese with marbled paste and flowered rind produced only with whole cow's milk from breeds situated in the tablelands of Massif Central and Causses.
Production Area
The production area of the milk used to produce Bleu des Causses PDO is the department of Aveyron, except of the municipal areas of Mur de Barrez and Sainte Geneviève sur Argence, the eastern part of the department of Lozère, and the southern side of Lot. Ripening must take place in the natural cellars of the calcareous tablelands of Causses, in the geographic area bordered by the five municipal areas of Aveyron, only a municipal area of Gard and one of Hérault. The reference regions are Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc-Roussillon.
Production Method
During the first phase of the production of Bleu des Causses PDO, milk enzymes and Penicillium Roqueforti are added to the milk. Coagulation must be carried out only using rennet. Once the curd is obtained, it is cut in cubes, called grains, and then mixed again. The curd is put into the cheese moulds and left to drip for about three days, during which the moulds must be often turned. Then, the salting phase takes place. Finally, the cheeses are pricked so that Penicillium, which needs space and oxygen, can develop giving them, after some days, the traditional blue colour. Cheese ripening takes place in the moulds, on oak wood boards, in fresh and humid cellars. Fresh cheese and cheese undergoing the maturing process may not be conserved under a modified atmosphere.
Appearance and Flavour
Bleu des Causses PDO has a flat and cylindrical shape, with about 20 cm of diameter and about 10 cm of height, and a weight spanning from 2 kg to 3 kg. Its paste is marbled and ivory-white colour with moulds in blue-green tones distributed uniformly. Its taste is fruity and its appearance is fondant.
History
Bleu des Causses PDO is linked to the dairy tradition of southern Massif Central. The use of natural, calcareous caves for cheese ripening has been well-known since far times. Indeed, there were a lot of artisans who processed the cheese using this technique; and these cheeses made with both goats' milk and cows' milk could be found in cellars.
Gastronomy
Bleu des Causses PDO must be conserved in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator, wrapped accurately in a foil. Before eating it, it is suggested to leave it at room temperature for about one hour to better appreciate its organoleptic features. Bleu des Causses PDO can be eaten at the end of a meal, as snack or aperitif accompanied by walnuts and homemade bread. This cheese is also used to prepare many warm dishes. It is perfect with a sweet white wine like Muscat or with liquorish wines like Côte de Bergerac.
Marketing
The product is sold as Bleu des Causses PDO. It is marketed whole or in portions.
Distinctive Features
Bleu des Causses PDO ripens in natural caves located along the northern side of the rocky, calcareous formations of Causses, which are exposed to cold and humid currents which give it the characteristic sweet taste.
