Delft Blue Cheese

Stilton, Roquefort, Gorgonzola.  We've sold 'em all.  Delft is new here.  It's probably more similar to the softer Danish types or real Italian Gorgonzola.  In any event, it's definitely not a crumbler.  

Delft is a rich and creamy cow's milk cheese that is absolutely charming on the palate.  It has a mellow fat buttery taste with underlying sweetness.  There is no saltiness at all to this cheese and coorespondingly, no aggressive wang at the end.  Just a nice clean finish with that same lingering sweetness.  

Visually this cheese appears just like it tastes.  It has a milky whiteness with spare attractive blue veins.  The cheese is firm enough to slice as long as your slice is moderate considering its texture.  Delft is also supposed to be meltable if desired.

Now here's the backstory: Delft is a town on the Schie River in South Holland between Rotterdam and Den Hague.  It is the historic home of the artist Vermeer and the home of Delftware, tin-glazed earthenware, aka Blue de Graven.  

Delftware was a local response to the extreme popularity of Chinese porcelain in the 16th century.  To this day the Delftware Chinese knockoff continues to sell both to new Dutch tourists and to its worldwide fan base.  

What does this have to do with the cheese?  Color-wise the cheese bears a definite resemblance to the earthenware that makes you think there is a connection.  Could Delft Blue Cheese be a knockoff of the dishes?