ROQUEFORT CHEESE
On his first TV show 'I Love to Eat' in 1946, James Beard used ink to color the veining of Roquefort cheese so it would be more photogenic.
Roquefort cheese is made from ewes' (sheep's) milk, and is one of the world's oldest known cheeses. It was mentioned by Pliny, and was Charlemagne's favorite cheese.
In 1411 Charles VI of France gave sole rights to the ageing of Roquefort cheese to the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, and all Roquefort still must be aged in the caves there today.
The blue veining is the mold Penicillium roqueforti, and originally came from the walls of the limestone caves in the south of France where the cheese was ripened.
Today the mold is injected into the cheese to ensure even distribution, but it is still aged in the same caves. All true Roquefort cheese has a red sheep brand on the foil label.
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