Shropshire Blue Cheese

Shropshire Blue Cheese is a cow's milk blue cheese from the U.K. and is somewhat of a cross between Stilton and Cheshire. This cheese is delightfully creamy with a beautiful tangerine color created by the addition of annatto, a natural food coloring often used in Wisconsin cheddars. Shropshire Blue has a nutty, lingering flavor and its unique texture and color make it a great alternative to other Blues. However, I don't recommend eating the outer blue skin on the cheese. It is not very tasty!

I was able to purchase this cheese at E's Cheese market in Mendota Heights for about $10.00/half lb. Dessert wines or ports are often recommended with blue cheese so I paired the Shropshire Blue with a 2007 Dr. Loosen Riesling. However, the combination was not very good. The sweetness of the Riesling did not enhance the flavor of the cheese and I actually found that the wine's minerality conflicted with the nuttiness of the cheese. I would try a Prosecco, a semi-dry Rose, or a Port with this cheese.



Shropshire Blue Cheese