4 BULLETIN 970, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
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 
\\ inches high. Such a cheese should weigh from 4 to -5 pounds. 
Surfaces. — There is no definite rind on the ripe Roquefort cheese. 
The sof tening 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 lactic us have 
been found to be the chief ripening agents of the cheese. 5 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 hi 
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 
= Evans, Alice C, Bacterial flora of Roquefort cheese. In Jour. Agr. Research, p. 232. (Vol. XIII, No. 4. 
Apr. 22, 191S.) 
