SOFT CHEESES 223 
After curdling the milk with rennet in the usual way and drain- 
ing the curd, it is placed in a form in a thin layer, and over the 
top of the layer is strewn a quantity of powdered, moldy bread 
with its thousands of spores. Over this is placed another layer 
of curd with more mold spores; then a third layer of curd over 
all. The mold is thus planted within the cheese. The whole is 
then pressed by moderate pressure in a form. After a few days 
the cheese becomes hard enough to be removed from the form and 
is next placed upon a machine which punches it full of holes by 
means of small needles. The purpose of this is to allow air to 
enter into the center of the cheese, thus furnishing the molds in 
the center with the air they need for growth. The cheese is then 
put into the ripening room where the molds develop, growing 
primarily within the cheese. As the molds grow they develop a 
peculiarly peppery, piquant taste, which is characteristic of the 
Roquefort cheese. Just before the cheese is fully ripe it tastes 
bitter; but this taste disappears as the final flavor develops. A 
good Roquefort cheese is only possible when there is a luxuriant 
growth of these molds within the cheese, no surface growth being 
allowed. 
The successful manufacture of the Roquefort cheese in the 
United States is yet to come. There seems to be no reason why 
a cheese cannot be made in this country which, if ripened by the 
Roquefort mold, will have the Roquefort flavor; but it is not likely 
that a real Roquefort can ever be made in America because, the 
typical Roquefort is made of sheep’s milk, and it is doubtful if 
Americans will ever be content to raise sheep and milk them. 
Stilton and Gorgonzola cheeses are, however, made from cow’s 
milk and ripened by the same mold that is found in the Roquefort. 
These cheeses can certainly be made in this country. Stilton 
has already been made in Canada, and there is no reason why its 
manufacture cannot be undertaken and developed in the United 
States. 
The Limburger Cheese-—This represents a type of cheese in 
