For the love of Bleu!

What’s blue, salty, crumbly and a bit stinky? Why bleu cheese of course! Now, for those of you afraid of eating something that looks like it has already gone bad before you even take it out of the package, all I have to say is don’t knock it ‘til you try it... That being said, it isn’t for everyone, the pungent aroma and startling taste makes it something that not everyone falls in love with instantly. But like many acquired tastes, with the right beverage pairing and mood, you too could begin to develop feelings for this moldy lump of decadence.

A block of Maytag bleu cheese,
Courtesy of google

My boyfriend, Justin, is a fantastic sport when it comes to tasting bleu cheese, he tries it every time I order it anywhere and he is just not a fan; my goal is to find one he will actually enjoy eating. But to his credit, he tries it over and over again, knowing that he will probably have to physically resist the urge to spit it out. He does it because he loves me, and that means more to me than I can say.. Sometimes you have to try things more than once or twice to really understand the complexity of the flavor. Take scotch for example, the first time you taste it, your reaction is probably to gag or ask for a packet of Splenda; you might wonder why anyone would choose to drink it, but over time you begin to appreciate the oakey aftertaste that lingers on your palette. Like so many foods, bleu cheese is simply misunderstood. All cheese is mold, bleu just dares to wear it proudly; this might be offputting to some, but the colors alone will make your cheese plate stand out from the crowd. So, go fearlessly forward, don’t let the odd scent or visible moldy appearance scare you away, under that textured outer shell lies a smooth creamy delight that you never knew existed!