{"id":18249,"date":"2015-02-20T13:14:29","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T18:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=18249"},"modified":"2015-02-20T13:17:04","modified_gmt":"2015-02-20T18:17:04","slug":"bon-fromage-roquefort-king-cheese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/bon-fromage-roquefort-king-cheese\/","title":{"rendered":"Bon Fromage: Roquefort, the \u201cKing of Cheese\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Intern Gabrielle Roman looks into what makes French cheeses tick for her blog series,<\/em> Bon Fromage. Meant to answer any questions you might have but were afraid to ask about cheese made from the country famous for fromage, each post will focus on a specific cheese and take a deep dive into its history and production. Take the plunge and demystify the world of French cheese.<\/em><\/p>\n

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I have long believed that the study of history is essential. In general, I tell people that history is the study of people, and by studying our past, we can learn about why people do what they do and see that someone who lived five hundred years ago might not be as different from us as we thought. Studying the history of cheese can do the same. By giving cheese context and a past, it becomes more relatable. For French cheese, this is especially important.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all learned from a young age that France is connected to cheese more than any other country. French cheese exists in a weird paradox, where we\u2019re all expected to have heard of it but none of really know anything about it. What does Roquefort taste like? Where does Valen\u00e7ay come from? How in the world do you say Maroilles?<\/p>\n

By giving cultural context to French cheese, I hope to shed some light on the cheeses you\u2019ve all heard about but never really understood. While most fromage<\/i> boasts a pedigree and claims to be the favorite of at least one French king, that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t enjoy some too. The aim of this blog series is to make these cheeses accessible and answer any of those questions you might have had but didn\u2019t know if you should ask. In this way, I hope to make the world of cheese seem less unreachable and mysterious, proving that the only pedigree you really need to appreciate cheese is a willingness to try.<\/p>\n

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The history of Roquefort starts way back before modern humans walked the planet. Millions of years ago, the landscape of France changed dramatically. Earthquakes caused mountain ranges in southern France to shift and collapse, forming natural caves in the modern day Mont Combalou. These special caves exist near the township of Roquefort-sur-Soulzan, and only cheese naturally aged here can be called Roquefort. In addition to forming caves, the collapsing rock also formed fleurines<\/i>, or little faults, in the rock. These faults channel outside air through the caves that keep the temperature cool (between 46 and 53\u00baF, or 8 and 12\u00baC) and maintain a constant high humidity of 98 percent. The conditions are perfect for ripening Roquefort, yes, but who figured out cool and humid caves made for great cheese?<\/p>\n

\"Lacaune<\/a>

One of the Lacaune sheep used to make Roquefort.<\/p><\/div>\n

According to the creation myth, a shepherd was sitting at the mouth of one of these caves eating his lunch, which included some cheese made from his flock. He spotted a pretty girl in the distance, and being at the prime age where hormones make you forget about your appetite, he ran off in pursuit of her, leaving his food behind. When he returned sometime later, the cheese had grown mold on it. Having already proven to be the impulsive sort, he ate it and discovered the first Roquefort.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are several more rules now to what makes Roquefort truly Roquefort, and producers today don\u2019t leave forgotten wheels in the entrance to caves for several months. In 1925, Roquefort was the first cheese to receive official appellation d’origine controlee<\/i>, or AOC status. This status ensures the cheese comes from a specific region<\/a> and also entails specific regulations that must be followed to ensure the cheese is a true Roquefort.<\/p>\n

Some of the regulations include:<\/p>\n