Naomichi Marufuji reviews three kinds of blue cheese (Kakumag)

Hello everyone! It is me, Naomichi Marufuji of Pro Wrestling Noah! I have tried various foods all over the world, but this time I would like to challenge myself and eat blue cheese...cheese with fresh mold. It is characterized by "distinctive" fragrance and a "habitable" taste.

This is what is called the world's three best blue cheeses:

- Gorgonzola

- Roquefort

- Stilton

The reason why I have done this blue cheese challenge this time is because I love wine, and cheese is something to enjoy with wine. As a wine lover, these are the world's three biggest blue cheese, and I would not be able to not eat and compare.

First up is "Gorgonzola". It is a blue cheese which is the best known in Japan. It is one of the cheese that represents Italy best. Inside there is a streak of blue mold, which has a unique smell.

(Italian color!)

 It is commonly used for pizza, pasta,and dressing and it is well known. Gorgonzola, by the way, has two kinds "Dolce (sweet") and "Picante (dry)" according to the period of aging. The majority of Gorgonzola sold in Japanese supermarkets is mild Dolce. For this test I will try Picante which has a long maturation period.

There is a lingering strong fragrance...

 (Unexpectedly my little finger stood up)

Yes, this is a blue cheese that I often talk about, so it feels familiar to me. The taste is salty on my tongue, but it was comparatively easy to eat. It is dry and sharp, but it gets the nod. I want to eat it with raisins and red wine.

Next is "Roquefort". This is known as the "King of blue mold cheese"

(The blue mold is in the middle)

 Unlike the other two, this is made of sheep's milk (have you ever eaten cheese made from sheeps milk?). Compare it to cheese mad from milk, and you will get an animal like smell.

It is said to be the oldest cheese in France, and the story of its birth is amazing. In the the past shepherds left their cheese in caves, and the blue mold was created on it. It is said to be the prototype of Roquefort. Is that not a lovely story (especially the legend)?

The current manufacturing method is faithful to that using fungus collected in the cave and matured there.

I will check the fragrance. Yes, this one is intense...

(My little finger stood up again)

 However, there is no feeling of animal here as I thought. I had been prepared for a distinctive smell. The taste is...hmmm...the expression would be "moist", "smooth" and "neat". There is a refreshing scent, and a sensation of deep flavor and rich sheep milk. It matches the aged red wine. Salinity seems slightly higher than the other two, but it is not a level of concern.

And last of all, "Stilton" which is made in the UK. It is said to be Queen Elizabeth's favorite cheese.

(Sweetness and bitterness are mixed together)

 Until recently it has not been well known in Japan. It appered that a cooking program called "Kokubu TOKIO" had it on it. Perhaps it will gradually become known in Japan.

Silton is native to England. To be real Stilton the cheese has to have very strict rules about where it is made, the materials used, manufacturing, method and shape. It also has to have the "taste and character peculiar to Stilton". According to my survey, this has the strongest scent.

(No little finger raise this time. It has a characteristic taste)

 Its amazing. It is rich and tasty when you bite into it, a thick mixture of sweetness and bitterness comes from it. There has been an experiment in the UK, where it is said that eating this cheese and sleeping afterwards caused 75% of men and 85% of women to have strange dreams. It seems to go well with red wine and rich whisky.

Tentatively, I tried each bit of blue cheese on a cracker.

(Warmed in the oven with honey)

 This is the best snack! All them go with wine! It doesn't matter if it is red or white, it all goes well. With honey, it felt like dessert, and it was the Stilton who hit me. The smell vanishes, the honey is equisite with the salty cheese! There was an apple at home, so we sliced it and ate it together.

(Surprisingly fresh with a sense of texture)

The blue mold cheese is said to be stinky and cheesy (I ended up smelling the same as the cheese...), but when you eat all the three great blue cheeses in the world, they all combine to form the best taste. Please try eating it all at once.

Link to original article (in Japanese)