STILTON

classic English blue cheese made from cow's milk, named for the village in Huntingdonshire where, according to tradition, it was first sold in the late 18th century at a stagecoach stop called the Bell Inn. Stilton cheese has apparently never been produced in its namesake village; in modern times the designation is restricted to certain cheeses produced in the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. Originally made exclusively from the milk of Shorthorn cows, as some still is, Stilton has a rich, intense flavour that is less salty than that of Roquefort. The texture is semisoft and moist or creamy, since the cheese is not pressed, and ivory yellow in colour, streaked with bluish-green veins of Penicillium glaucum mold. It is formed in cylinders nine inches (23 centimetres) in height and about 8 in. in diameter. The beige rind is wrinkled and crusty. Stilton is aged for four to eight months, sometimes longer. In England it is traditionally served with biscuits, port wine, and fruit.