Stilton is a type of English cheese known for its characteristic strong smell. There are two varieties of Stilton: the well-known Stilton blue and the less popular white. Both variations have been granted the status of protected territorial origin by the European Commission. There are only seventeen UK product names that bear this mark. Only cheese produced following strict guidelines in three English counties, namely Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, is entitled to be called Stilton.

Milk: goat
Fat content: 50% – 70%
Country: England
Hardness: soft cheese

Stilton Cheese Taste

What does stilton cheese taste like? White Stilton’s taste is mild, less salty and less intense. The taste of blue Stilton (mature with pronounced blue veins) is spicy oily with a seasoned soft, rich, fruity, deep bouquet. Both Stilton cheese’s texture is creamy, soft but crumbly and smooth.

Stilton cheese acquires its aroma with — the older, the more fragrant and refined. Stilton cheese is ideally combined with celery and broccoli. Therefore it is often added to salads and vegetable puree soups. According to English tradition, Stilton cheese is served with fresh bread or biscuits. Port wine is usually served with Stilton cheese. It should be noted that Stilton cheese, along with festive English muffins and puddings, is considered an indispensable attribute of Christmas.

How do you eat Stilton cheese? Stilton goes well with nuts, crackers, bread, celery, broccoli. You can choose port wine or sherry as alcoholic drinks. Stilton should not be served straight out of the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for a while and warm-up, and then the rich aroma and taste of Stilton will fully unfold.

Blue Stilton is often eaten with celery or pears. It is also commonly added for flavor to vegetable soups, especially with celery or broccoli. Alternatively, Stilton is served with crackers, biscuits and bread. This variety is used to prepare blue cheese sauce for steak or salad. Most often, blue Stilton is eaten at Christmas. As it matures, the crust forms naturally, so it is just as edible (unlike varieties like Edam or Port-Salu).

Stilton Cheese Nutritional Value

• Energy value (100 g): 353 kcal
• Nutritional value (100 g): proteins – 21.4 g, carbohydrates – 2.34 g, fats – 28.74 g, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, chromium, zinc, sodium.
• Vitamins and minerals: vitamins A, D, group B.
• Fat content: 35%.
• Storage: at a temperature from 0 to 6°C in sealed packaging no more than 1 month.

Is stilton cheese good for you? Stilton cheese is good for you as it has ascorbic acid, which strengthens the immune system and increases the protective functions of the body. Choline normalizes the level of cholesterol in the blood. Iron improves blood composition and promotes hematopoiesis.

Sulfur takes an active part in metabolic processes in the body. The combined action of phosphorus and calcium is aimed at the regeneration and strengthening of bone tissue. Also, they have a positive effect on the condition of hair, nails and teeth. Sodium in Stilton cheese prevents dehydration. Potassium and magnesium ensure the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

Stilton Cheese Price

White Stilton Gold is made using gold flakes and gold liqueur. It is ideal for the lifestyle of the rich and famous, with a price tag of over $ 990 per kilo or $450 per pound.

Why is Stilton cheese so expensive? Stilton cheese is so expensive because it can only be produced in England in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Stilton is the only English cheese whose name is protected by region of origin. The entire manufacturing and maturation process takes 9 weeks which also increases Stilton’s price.

Only 6 cheesemakers are licensed to produce Stilton. The manufacturing process is closely monitored. Inspections are regularly carried out by an independent inspection body accredited according to the European standard EN 45011.

Today, five of these licensed cheese mills are located in the Vale of Beaver, which stretches along the Nottinghamshire-Leicestershire border. This area is considered the heart of Stilton cheese production. The producers are located in Melton Mowbray and the villages of Colston Bassett, Cropwell Bishop, Lone Clauson. Quenby Hall in Hungarton is another Stilton producer from Leicestershire.

Paradoxically, from a legal perspective, Stilton cheese cannot be produced in the village of the same name. The fact is that the village of Stilton is located outside the aforementioned counties, namely, in the administrative county of Cambridgeshire and in the historical Huntingdonshire.

Typically, Stilton cheese has a fat content of ~ 35% and a protein content of ~ 23%.

Stilton Cheese History

Stilton cheese got its name and wide distribution in 1730 thanks to Cooper Thornhill, the owner of an inn in the English village of Stilton who was passing through a village in Leicestershire and tried a delicious blue cheese from a farmer, that was where Stilton cheese was first made.

The innkeeper liked the cheese so much that he wished to start selling it in his establishment, which was very conveniently located near a large carriageway. The fame of Stilton cheese quickly spread throughout England, and Thornhill bought the patent for its production from a farmer.

Very soon, Stilton cheese was produced not only in England but throughout Europe, but those cheeses were very faintly similar to the original. Cooking conditions were violated and, in some cases, were changed beyond recognition. An end to this was put in 1966 when Stilton was awarded the European PDO (Protected by Region of Origin) certificate.

How Is Stilton Cheese Made?

Stilton cheese is made with morning cream and whole cow’s milk, taken exclusively from one of the 8 dairies in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. The pasteurized milk is left to sour until the whey separates. The cheese mass is thrown into cloth bags and left to drain the whey. The finished cheese is pricked with spores of blue penicillin mold and left to ripen until a dense crust appears.