The BBC reports that scientists have for the first time pinpointed some of the yeasts responsible for the unique aromas of Stilton blue cheese:
Stilton is known as much for its unique smell as for its strong taste and distinctive blue-veined appearance.
But exactly what gives it and other blue cheeses their particular aroma has always been a mystery.
Now scientists at the University of Northampton and University of Nottingham have pinpointed for the first time the yeast that enhances the smell of the cheeses. A study has been looking at the role of various micro-organisms in the production of the East Midlands’ famous blue cheeses, like Stilton.
Micro-organisms - known in the trade as starter cultures - are added to milk in the manufacture of cheeses. But “secondary flora” - mainly present in the atmosphere - find their way into the cheeses and help to give them their special character. Although the mould Penicillium roqueforti is added by manufacturers to produce the “blue” in cheeses, researchers found a yeast called Y. lipolytica directly influenced their smell.
“The panel was able to discriminate between samples with different yeast levels, suggesting that the variation in microbial flora was noticeable in the aroma,” said Dr Kostas Gkatzionis, of the University of Northampton.
Read the full story. (Via Culture)
(Photo ©2012 stiltoncheese.co.uk)