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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
