What is Stilton cheese?
Stilton is an English blue cheese with blue-green veins and a rich, tangy flavor. It has protected status and can only be made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, using local milk.
The cheese is named after the village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire, where it was sold to travelers on the Great North Road in the 1700s. Ironically, it cannot legally be made in Stilton because the village is outside the protected area.
Stilton is made from pasteurized cow's milk. Steel needles are pushed into the cheese to let in air, which allows the blue mold to grow.
How to eat Stilton
Stilton is traditionally eaten at Christmas, often with crackers, celery, grapes or port wine. It is also used in soups, sauces and salads.
There is also a White Stilton, which is not aged long enough to develop blue veins.
Only a handful of dairies are licensed to make Stilton. It is sometimes called the king of English cheeses.
Stilton has had Protected Designation of Origin status since 1996, protecting its name and traditional methods of production.