Carles · The Roquefort Journal
Bite, salt, creaminess, blue veining: “mild” and “strong” hide several sensations. Here is how to read them, where they come from, and how to choose your Roquefort.
The essentials
Roquefort intensity blends salt, bite, richness and texture; more blue does not always mean stronger. It depends on the raw ewe’s milk, the Penicillium strain, ripening and where in the loaf you cut, and serving temperature changes it again. Choose a creamy, delicate profile (Élégance) to discover or cook, a bolder one (Convoitise) for a connoisseur’s board.
Contents
One name, Roquefort, yet very different sensations.
A living cheese, Roquefort varies with the house, the loaf, the cut and the moment it is served.
Since 1927, our family house has helped people read a Roquefort and choose their own.
Chapter I · Vocabulary
“Strong” usually means bite, “mild” a melting paste — but on the palate these impressions overlap.
Salt comes first, bite later from the mould working on fats, and the richness of ewe’s milk rounds it all off.
A creamy paste feels milder; a crumblier one releases flavour in bursts.
Not necessarily: strain, ripening, salt and texture matter as much. Taste before judging.
Chapter II · Origins
Intensity is built step by step, from meadow to cellar.
Raw milk from 13 partner farms gives depth that varies with the seasons.
Some strains give bolder blue, others more roundness.
Longer ripening concentrates aromas; shorter keeps a milky freshness.
Oak boards support a slow, even evolution of the paste.
Intensity is not decreed in the cellar.
It is guided, loaf after loaf.
Chapter III · The loaf
A Roquefort loaf is not uniform — and that is part of its charm.
The core is creamier and rounder; the edge firmer and saltier.
A wedge from core to rind gives everyone the full range.
See our guide on how to taste Roquefort.
Chapter IV · Serving
Too cold, a Roquefort seems closed and salty — not stronger, just silent.
Take it out at least an hour before serving: the paste softens and the aromas open.
Read about Roquefort storage temperature.
Taste the same piece cold, then rested: the second bite is rounder and longer.
Too cold, a Roquefort stays silent;
tempered, it tells of its cellar.
Chapter V · Uses
No good or bad Roquefort — only ones better suited to a moment.
Choose a creamy profile from the core. Compare with Bleu d’Auvergne or Gorgonzola and Stilton.
Serve it last; offer both profiles. See our cheese board guide.
Heat rounds its intensity, as in our Roquefort sauce or Roquefort pasta.
Mild or strong, the choice depends on the moment.
Chapter VI · Our ranges
Since 1927, over 3 generations, one craft yields two ranges.
A rare balance between power and clarity: supple paste, clean blue, never aggressive.
Discover Convoitise
More delicate, creamier and more melting on the palate.
Discover ÉléganceTaste them side by side: discover our two Roquefort.
Frequently asked
01.
Not necessarily: its intensity varies with house, strain, ripening and loaf zone.
02.
No. Longer ripening concentrates aromas but does not automatically add bite.
03.
It may come from the edge, be served too cold, or simply reflect its loaf.
04.
Serve it tempered, from the core, with bread, butter, fruit or honey — or cook it.
05.
It depends on your guests; offering both side by side often works best.
06.
Only tasting truly tells — ask your cheesemonger or taste in our shop.
Going further
Compare our two ranges on our page mild or strong Roquefort.
Come and taste
Taste Convoitise and Élégance side by side at our Roquefort-sur-Soulzon shop.
Avenue de Lauras, Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 5:30 pm
Can’t visit? Both ranges can be ordered online.
