Spectacular Stilton!

Welcome to Prudence Dapperling’s “Mouse in a Million” BIG CHEESE Blog!

Today, I share the wonders of England’s one and only name-protected cheese (and arguably our most famous)--

Stilton.

The person credited with pioneering the production of Stilton was Elizabeth Scarbrow, housekeeper to the Ashby family at Quenby Hall, Hungarton, Leicestershire, around 1720.  Most of the local cheese of that time, called Quenby, was sold at the Bell Inn at Stilton, a coach house on the Great North Road in Huntingdonshire. Though no cheese was ever made in Stilton, that’s where the cheese became famous and from whence it eventually took its name.  Elizabeth took Quenby, which she'd taught herself to make, and turned into the delightful stuff that Stilton became. Through her daughter and granddaughter, to whom she passed her magical skills, Elizabeth Scarbrow established a Stilton-making monopoly that lasted about 50 years. By the 1790s, Stilton was being made and sold at great profit in almost every village in the area.

Flag of County Leicestershire

There are three places where this cheese can be made and legally be called “Stilton”—Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and The Dale of the Dove just west of Derbyshire in the Midlands of England. The Shires are known for having rich deposits of coal and iron. Many believe it’s the iron in the soil that contributes to the blueness of Stilton.  The name-control law requires that the milk and manufacture occur in these areas and nowhere else, and that the recipe and aging guidelines be those established by the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association.

Flag of County Nottinghamshire

The best cheeses are made from the highest quality milk, aged properly, turned often, and “ironed.”  Ironing is how careful cheese makers determine a cheese’s readiness for eating. A cylindrical auger is inserted into the cheese to remove a “plug,” which is then sniffed, examined for proper texture and bluing, tasted, and then reinserted into the cheese. Depending on the cheese’s development, a Stilton can be aged for as little as 6 months or as long as 18. Most Stiltons weigh 14 to 16 pounds, are 10 or 11 inches high, and 8 or 9 inches in diameter. 

Blue Stilton Cheese
Image by Dominik Hundhammer, 20 January 2005

The texture of a well-aged Stilton should be moist and creamy, with a slight crumble factor. The aroma should be large and piquant at room temperature, mild and pleasant when cold.   The flavor is full-bodied, rich, and creamy.  When buying Stilton, look for a dry, brown, rough rind and an ivory paste with abundant bluing uniformly throughout.

Stilton is one of those cheeses that can be enjoyed any time, either by itself as a snack or after a fine meal with Port or a good red wine, crusty bread, and sweet fruit. 

For me, it’s a treat that has no rival!

Like Cheese? Check out Steven Jenkins' blog here. 

And don't miss the latest installment from that wise and worthy cheese-loving feline, Spaulding Gray.

Like mice and bats and other critters of the night? Then you'll love Darklings! Buy it here...

Source: Cheese Primer, Steven Jenkins, Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1996