Once called Bleu de l'Aveyron, Bleu des Causseshas both AOC and AOP status. This cheese, made from unpasteurised cows' milk with a delicious blue-veined centre, has a long history in common with Roquefort, another very popular French cheese.
Matured for three to six months, Bleu des Causseshas a natural rind and a beautiful ivory colour, streaked through with blue-green mould. It is the shape of a flat cylinder and has a firm, fatty, creamy texture and a strong smell.
Though it can be enjoyed in salads or omelettes, it is at the end of a meal with a slice of country bread and a glass of Cahors or Marcillac wine that all the flavours of the Bleu des Causses are truly released.