Welcome ladies and gentleman to the main event of the week! In the category of Culinary Boxing here at Chef’s Mandala, we have weighing in at 6 pounds from France, please welcome Roquefort!  His opponent, weighing in at 7 pounds from Denmark , please welcome Danish blue cheese!

LET’S GET READY TO RRRRR…….HAVE A SPIRITED DEBATE ON FOOD!!!

In the Red Corner – ROQUEFORT

Our challenger comes to us from his famous subterranean lair in southeastern France.  Roquefort has a long history going back to when a shepherd saw a pretty girl and stuffed his baguette and cheese sandwich in a cave (to chase after her).  He returned a few days later to find that the bread mold combined with the cheese had created a new dairy treasure – Roquefort!  Made from sheep’s milk native to the region, this fromage has a more distinct flavor then our Nordic champ.    The French flock is allowed to graze in pastures from spring to autumn.  This combined aging the cheese in limestone caves gives Roquefort its’ world renowned texture and taste.  To buy a slice of Roquefort click here!

In the Blue Corner – DANISH BLUE CHEESE

The champion of the Culinary Boxing middleweight division, Danish blue cheese is a soft, creamy delicacy riddled with marble streaks of green gold.  Made both in Denmark and North America, critics have claimed that the champ is nothing more then an industrialized version of blue Stilton.  Ironically this cheese was created by Danish farmers who copied French blue cheese making techniques, and swapped out the sheep’s milk for less expensive and creamier cow’s milk.  The same type of blue mold, Penicillium roqueforti, is still used to give this cheese its’ distinct veining.  With a shorter ripening period, Danish blue is milder and creamier then other industrial classics like Gorgonzola.

FIGHT!!!

• The Play-By-Play

Roquefort comes out looking to put this Danish giant in his place.  This fight ladies and gentlemen looks like a scene straight out of Rocky 4! And with the ringing of the bell they are off.  Roquefort throws a jab, followed by another jab, followed by some fancy footwork, side to side bobbing, a left hook, then a right and then an uppercut.  But Danish blue calmly stands still throughout all of this, absorbing blow after vicious blow.  This viking titan then throws one massive uppercut straight under Roquefort’s jaw.  Obviously the difference in the size (of production) between these two opponents is not in Roquefort’s favor!

AND THE WINNER IS….

Roquefort is the winner by knock-out in the first round.  With cave-aging and artisanal production to this day, Roquefort’s sophisticated flavor far outweighs Danish Blue.  Sadly during a trade war with France, the U.S.A. drastically increased Roquefort’s tariff.  They slapped a 100% duty on it, making this an expensive but worthwhile delicacy.