CurdNerds

Yesterday's New York Times Food Section ran an article by noted food scientist and author Harold McGee on Stichelton, a new raw-milk Stilton coming out of the U.K. I'd like to think this article was inspired by one that I wrote back in October for Serious Eats, but who knows? Either way I'm happy this cheese is getting press because it is probably the best blue I've ever had. Sweet, creamy, barnyardy, not too "bluey"--it's true perfection.

The main thrust of the story behind the cheese is in its name: because of AOC-like regulations requiring that all Stiltons contain pasteurized cow's milk, the makers of raw-milk Stichelton had to come up with a different name. Stichelton is the medieval name of the village where Stilton originated.

My only gripe with the article is that it didn't contain enough science. McGee is known for his breadth of knowledge when it comes to food science (his book On Food and Cooking is a fundamental reference for scientifically-minded cooks), and I would've liked to have seen some nice juicy details on the process of pasteurization, and the benefits of using raw milk to make cheese.