Stilton is named for the little village of Stilton, but is has never been made there. It was, however made nearby and is still made locally within the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire (now including Rutland), and Nottinghamshire. Known in Britain as the "king of cheeses", Stilton has been protected by a copyright invested in the Stilton Cheese Makers' Association. There are currently five members of the association and one other producer. Stilton cheeses are drum shaped with a thick, hard, un-cracked crust, which is usually grayish brown and slightly wrinkled with whitish powdery patches. The paste is crumbly when young, softening and darkening at the rind as it matures. It is a lovely creamy ivory color with well spread blue veining growing from the center outward. The veining increases in area and turns a bright blue-green with maturity. The aroma is sharply nutty and the flavor is full of mellow nuts and fruit. The flavor strengthens as it matures. Stilton is not sold until it is at least three months old and a few cheeses are sold when they are more mature. The best Stilton, made from the summer milk, is in the shops from September to Christmas. The age at which Stilton should be eaten is very much a matter of personal preference. But much of the cheese sod in supermarkets is fairly immature. More mature cheeses are to be found in specialty cheese shops. Stilton is a good after dinner cheese. It was traditionally served with Port. At one time it was fashionable to slice the top off a whole cheese and to spoon or scoop out the past with a special scoop. Sometimes the cheese was also pierced with knitting needles and Port was poured over the cut surface and encouraged to penetrate into the cheese. Our Stilton comes from the incomparable Ford Farms, producers of artisan farmhouse style cheeses. Product Metrics: | Country: England | | Region: Derbyshire, Leicesterchire, Nottinghamshire | | Milk: Cow | |
|
| Rind: Semi-hard blue, natural brushed rind | | Aging: 3 to 8 months | | Recommended wines: Port | | Consistency: Creamy with blue veins | | Taste: Strong, pungent | | Brand name: Ford Farms | | Rennet: Vegetable | | Height: 1.8 | | Length: 4.5 | | Width: 3.9 |
Available Options: |
