Danish Blue Cheese: Taste and Uses

Its official name is Danablu, and the EU protects it as a PGI, so the real thing is made in Denmark from Danish milk.

It is the blue to reach for when you want punch at a modest price. It is louder than a creamy Gorgonzola and softer than a crumbly Stilton, which is why it ends up in dressings, on steak and in supermarket crumble tubs.

Danish Blue cheese at a glance

Danish Blue cheese at a glance means the facts from the EU single document for Danablu, which is the official description of the product.

What makes Danish Blue cheese different

Danish Blue cheese is different because its milk is homogenized, which spreads the fat evenly and gives a whiter, richer paste with a sharper blue bite. The single document tells the story: in 1927 the Danish cheesemaker Marius Boel tried homogenized milk, an idea he took from 9 percent coffee cream that stays creamy despite its low fat, and the cheese came out fattier, more piquant and whiter.

During World War II a US university patented homogenizing cheese milk and tried to charge a levy on Danish cheese made that way. The claim failed once it was shown that Boel had used the method 20 years earlier.

The EU approved changes to the Danablu specification in a 2013 regulation, and the rules are written into the registration. The cheese must be made in Denmark from Danish milk, the rind may not be coated in paraffin or plastic, and the label may add "Danish Blue Cheese" beside the name Danablu. The PDO and PGI guide explains what a PGI promises. The full Danablu story, with its history and rules, is in the Danablu article.

How Danish Blue cheese tastes and feels

Danish Blue cheese tastes sharp, salty and a little sour, with a clean blue flavor that can lean slightly bitter. The specification describes a loose but not crumbling body that is soft, sliceable and spreadable, a little firmer and shorter toward the outside, with no gas holes.

Young pieces are creamy and bright. With more age the blue deepens and the salt stands out more. Because it is salty, taste before you add salt to anything built on it.

How to buy Danish Blue cheese in the US

Buying Danish Blue cheese is simple: look for "Danablu" or "Danish Blue Cheese" on the label with Denmark as the origin. Choose a piece with even blue-green marbling and a white to pale yellow paste, with no gray, no sliminess and no sharp ammonia smell.

A wedge cut to order keeps better than a bag of crumbles, which dry out and lose their aroma. Crumbles are fine for dressing and salads where you want convenience.

How to cook and serve Danish Blue cheese

Danish Blue cheese works anywhere salt and punch help. Crumble it over a salad with pear and walnuts, whisk it into blue cheese dressing, melt it into a steak or burger sauce, or fold it into pasta cream. Stir it in off the heat so a sauce stays smooth.

For a board, take it out of the fridge about an hour ahead so it softens, and cut a wedge rather than a lump.

What to serve with Danish Blue cheese

What to serve with Danish Blue cheese comes down to sweetness against salt. Port, Sauternes and late-harvest Riesling suit it, and so do imperial stout, porter and barleywine for beer drinkers. On the plate, try pear, fig or grapes, with honey, walnuts and crackers. The port and blue cheese guide explains why sweet wine works, and the pairing guide covers more cheeses.

Substitutes for Danish Blue cheese

Substitutes for Danish Blue cheese are other blues, and the swap changes texture more than flavor. Roquefort is the closer match in salt, creamier and more complex, and a little goes further. Gorgonzola is milder and softer, best in sauces. Stilton is flakier and crumbles better over salads. The substitute finder lists more.

How to store Danish Blue cheese

Store Danish Blue cheese wrapped in wax paper or parchment inside a lidded container in the fridge, and use a cut piece within about two weeks. Crumbles go faster. The storing cheese guide covers wraps in more detail.

What most Danish Blue cheese advice gets wrong

Most Danish Blue cheese advice treats it as a cheap copy of Roquefort, and that undersells it. It is a separate cheese with its own protected name, a different milk and its own style: homogenized cow's milk gives a pale, soft, assertive blue, not a sheep's milk one. It is also not "just for dressing." A thin slice on a board with honey shows its clean sharpness better than a bowl of crumbles ever will.

Questions about Danish Blue cheese

These are the questions about Danish Blue cheese that come up most.

Is Danish Blue the same as Danablu?

Danish Blue is the same cheese as Danablu: Danablu is the registered name, and the label may add "Danish Blue Cheese" beside it.

Is Danish Blue cheese pasteurized?

Danish Blue cheese is made from milk that is thermized or pasteurized, according to the single document, so it is not a raw-milk cheese. Blue Cheese 101 covers how blues in general are made.

Is Danish Blue cheese strong?

Danish Blue cheese is strong for a soft blue: sharp, salty and a little sour. It is milder than a mature Roquefort but louder than a creamy Gorgonzola.

Where is Danish Blue cheese made?

Danish Blue cheese is made only in Denmark, from Danish cow's milk, with every step of production inside the country.

Your first Danish Blue cheese

For your first Danish Blue cheese, buy a small wedge, let it warm up for an hour and eat it with a pear, a few walnuts and a drizzle of honey. If you like it, crumble the next piece into a steak sauce.