4 BULLETIN 9'70, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



There is a remarkable uniformity of composition in the best grades 

 of this cheese. Good Roquefort should contain close to 40 per cent 

 water, 4 per cent salt, and 32 per cent fat. Special significance is 

 attached to the salt-and-water content of the cheese, and the com- 

 position of the domestic cheese has been made to approximate as 

 closely as possible that of the imported cheese. 



Size. — Roquefort cheese is round, about 7 inches in diameter, and 

 4^ inches high. Such a cheese should weigh from 4 to 5 pounds. 



Surfaces. — There is no definite rind on the ripe Roquefort cheese. 

 The softening of the cheese is due to the mold enzyms and to inclosing 

 it in tin foil, which tends to make the texture of the cheese uniform 

 throughout. As the cheese on the market is wrapped in foil it 

 always appears to be moist, rather than either wet or dry. The 

 surface of the cheese is more or less uneven as a result of punching 

 and scraping. 



Odor and color of surface. — ^The odor of the cheese is not likely to be 

 offensive unless it is too wet or has been kept too long at a high 

 temperature. The color should be slightly orange and never dark. 



Mold. — The most conspicuous characteristic of a cut Roquefort 

 cheese is the green mold. This and the Streptococcus lacticus have 

 been found to be the chief ripening agents of the cheese. ^ The 

 cheese presents a marblelike appearance of green and white with 

 luxuriant patches of the mold here and there, but more especially 

 near the mechanical holes which occur more often near the center 

 than near the outer edge. Radiating and ramifying veins of mold 

 extend from the central portion of the cheese to within an inch or so 

 of the outer edge, where there is little or no mold development. 

 Possibly this is due to a higher concentration of salt near the outer 

 edge during the period of mold growth, resulting in a dryer layer as 

 compared with the interior. Ordinarily the mold is. bright in 

 color, but where the ripening has been carried to an advanced 

 stage it takes on a darker hue. This is especially true when the 

 mold is subjected to a vigorous oxidation. The mold in the trail of 

 the piercing needle is often of a darker color than that in the cheese 

 a short distance from this point, where the air can not penetrate so 

 readily. The color of the mold in a freshly cut domestic Roquefort 

 cheese which has been held at a low temperature for a long period 

 may have nearly disappeared. In the course of a few minutes, 

 however, upon exposure to the air, the normal green color of the 

 mold gradually returns. 



Saltiness. — The saltiness of Roquefort cheese is quite character- 

 istic and is more noticeable when the cheese is fresh than when the 

 flavor has been fully developed. It is the most salty soft cheese on 



5 Evans, Alice C, Bacterialflora of Roquefort cheese. In Jour. Agr. Research, p. 232. (Vol. XIII, No. 4. 

 Apr. 22, 1918.) 



