Roquefort is certainly a type of cheese I've heard of, but I wasn't sure that I'd actually ever had any. Therefore, when I saw some for sale several weeks ago, I snapped it up. At the very least, I'd have it again, post blog formation, so I could take notes and really do a proper sampling of it. The brand that I had was Joan of Arc, and the label certifies it's a product of France. However, Joan of Arc is currently owned by the Canadian cheese company Saputo, which I covered in my post about kasseri cheese on June 27, 2020.
Roquefort is an ancient cheese. Although just how ancient is a matter of some debate. Some folks think it dates back almost 2000 years, as they claim Pliny the Elder wrote about it in 79 A.D. But, other historians contend that Pliny was not necessarily referencing Roquefort itself--he could have been discussing another Gallic cheese, and he pointedly did not mention it was a blue cheese, which Roquefort certainly is. Therefore, the first undeniable historic reference to actual Roquefort is in 1411, when French king Charles VI granted a monopoly for making the cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, who reportedly had been making it there for centuries at least. There's also a legend about how Roquefort was invented. The tale goes that a youth was eating bread and sheep's cheese in a cave, but he happened to spy a young woman nearby that he took an immediate fancy to. He ran off in an attempt to woo her, and left his meal behind. Months later he returned, and discovered that mold from the bread had infested the cheese, but in a cool, delicious way. (I should note that one website disputes that the cheese could have been invented this way. They claim that investigation of the Roquefort bacteria's genetic information indicates that it's distinct from the type of food-spoiling bacteria that would have formed on the bread, and this bacteria doesn't exist in those caves on its own.) Whenever it was developed, and how, Roquefort is probably the most famous of the blue cheeses. Meaning cheeses that deliberately have mold growing in them, from the Penicillium roqueforti bacteria. (Which, despite the similarity in name, is not the same bacteria that makes the important antibiotic penicillin.) Roquefort is an incredibly popular cheese, especially in France. It's often referred to as the "King of Cheeses." Although this title is not official--numerous other cheeses claim to be this sovereign as well. (I'd like to see a "Game of Thrones"-style series of battles over this, but I don't think any are forthcoming.) Evidently it's the 2nd most popular cheese in France, behind only Comte. Moving on, there are the legal issues surrounding it. Due to EU regulations, cheese can't legally be called "Roquefort" unless it follows several detailed guidelines, the main ones being that it has to be aged, cut, and packaged in Roguefort-sur-Soulzon and its caves, and be made from only sheep's milk, and these sheep must be of the Lacaune breed. I assume other countries might not be as strict in this labelling, as often happens with "unofficial" brands of bourbon, champagne, tequila, etc. Finally, Roquefort is thought to have some medicinal qualities. Historically shepherds used to apply it to wounds to avoid infection and gangrene, and some modern research indicates it may have anti-inflammatory properties, the ability to inhibit LPS leukocytes, and even be effective against chlamydia. That said, if you suffer from any of these ailments, I'd strongly advise going to a doctor instead of just putting the contents of your cheese plate on your afflicted areas.
I can't really tell you much of anything about the Joan of Arc company or brand, alas. The official website was sorely lacking about its history. The label of my cheese reads, "Since 1918," so there's that. And my package has official-looking seals on it, so maybe it's one of the seven companies that legally produce Roquefort cheese. (I couldn't discover which one of the 7 mine was from, though.) Conversely, however, the label of the cheese I had did not indicate it was unpasteurized. And supposedly official Roquefort cannot be pasteurized. But, I don't know if it's legal to sell unpasteurized cheese in my state of New Jersey. So I'm more than a little confused about whether the Roquefort I ate was 100% legitimate or not.
Joan of Arc Roquefort cheese: The color of it was yellowish-white, with greenish mold chunks mixed into it. The odor was strong, almost pungent. The taste was also quite strong--sour, and reminiscent of other blue cheese I've had, only bolder. I tried some plain, and then some on some water crackers. Which helped--the cracker helped balance the nearly overpowering flavor of the Roquefort in an effective way. This wasn't my favorite cheese, but, as always, it was still very good. I would definitely recommend it, unless you're adverse to strong cheeses, and blue cheeses in general. The sight of the mold, and knowing that you're eating mold is a little off-putting, I guess, but the flavor was definitely well above average, and quite tasty.
One final tidbit, about the woman who inspired the brand/company name of this cheese, Joan of Arc. Some folks might not know that she fought alongside a man who's considered to be one of history's worst serial killers, Gilles de Rais. He was a nobleman who was superior in military matters--he was even named a Marshall of France. But then, later, long after Joan was dead, he was accused of sexually assaulting and then murdering dozens, or even hundreds of children. Some modern historians question his guilt, but Gilles de Rais was executed in 1440 A.D. He's also believed to have been the basis for the "Bluebeard" story.
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