Cheese of the week: Blue Shropshire

Name: Blue Shropshire

Brand: Clawson

Place of Purchase: Ames British Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Leicestershire, UK

Price in Iowa: $5.99 for 150g (it's an import)

Milk: pasteurized cow milk

Processing: Rennet is added, followed by annato, Penicillium added before aging 10-12 weeks.

Texture: soft

Color: orange with bleu veining

Rind: natural

Aroma: mild diary

Taste: Tangy, buttery

Mouth feel: creamy, not as crumbly/clingy as Stilton

Notes: I love Stilton. This often surprises people, since I have a serious allergy to penicillin, but when it comes to cheeses that just gives me a special mouth tingle. I have heard Blue Shropshire described as a "mild Stilton," but I think that is a simplistic assessment. Stilton is all bleu bloom and tangy. The Blue Shropshire has a milder bleu flavor, backed up with fruity and woody background tastes. It's also saltier than the Stilton. The Stilton spreads easier and melts nicer, but I think that the milder smelling Shropshire would work better in a cheese selection on the plate.