Bleu d’Auvergne

They know their mold in the Rouergue and Augvergne regions of central France. Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is here, and it’s also the home of a number of other wondrously flavorful blue cheeses, including this one.

Unlike unpasteurized, sheep’s milk Roquefort, the milk in Bleu d’Auvergne comes from cows and is always pasteurized. That notwithstanding, it’s a dense, creamy variety that’s widely available in the United States. If it’s a bit less complicated than Roquefort, so be it. That just makes it more accessible.

Which is not to say this is a small, dull cheese. Just the opposite, in fact. Bleu d’Auvergne, and its unpasteurized sibling, Bleu des Causses, is a bit firmer than Roquefort, though still crumbly. It is also filled with veins, though not nearly so many. The paste also contains considerably fewer holes and fissures

It tastes creamy and tangy, and smelly-sweet in the manner of all good blue cheeses. To me, cow’s milk generally produces a rounder, more familiar flavor, relative to other animals. That’s present here.

Serve Bleu d’Auvergne the way you might use Roquefort, though expect it to be just a bit smaller.

It’s cheaper than Roquefort, so you might incorporate this into blended sauces and dressings. Or, do a head-to-head comparison with the King of Blues (maybe play some B.B. King while you’re doing so), and a Spanish Cabrales. It’s fun.

PAIRINGS: Bleu d’Auvergne is big, so it can stand on its own, or with apples, pears, crusty bread. Red wines: the bigger the better.