''Bleu de Gex'' (also ''Bleu du Haut-Jura'' or ''Bleu de Septmoncel'') is a creamy, semi-soft blue cheese made from unpasteurized milk in the Jura region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is named after the

Pays de Gex The arrondissement of Gex is an arrondissement of France in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It approximately corresponds to the historical region of the Pays de Gex. It has 27 communes. Its population is 93,027 (2016), and ...

, a historical region in what is now France and Switzerland. During production, ''

Penicillium roqueforti ''Penicillium roqueforti'' is a common saprotrophic fungus in the genus '' Penicillium''. Widespread in nature, it can be isolated from soil, decaying organic matter, and plants. The major industrial use of this fungus is the production of blue ...

'' mold is introduced and the unwashed

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...

s are loosely packed. It is then aged for at least three weeks. To meet

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...

guidelines, it must contain only the milk of

Montbéliard Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department. History Montbéliard is ...

cows. It is milder and younger than the majority of French blue cheeses. Each wheel is stamped with the word "Gex". Due to changes made in November 2004 to the official U.S. definition of "soft cheese", and the requirement that such cheeses from France must be made with pasteurized milk in French-certified plants, Bleu de Gex cannot be sold legally in the United States.

References

{{Blue cheeses Blue cheeses Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union Cow's-milk cheeses French cheeses

See also

References