Roquefort is one of the oldest known cheeses. It was the favourite cheese of the emperor Charlemagne, and in France it is called le fromage des rois et des papes (“the cheese of kings and popes”). Roquefort cheese is widely imitated throughout the world, and its name is used rather indiscriminately on processed cheeses and salad dressings. True Roquefort is noted for its sharp, tangy, salty flavour and its rich, creamy texture. In the 20th century some authentic Roqueforts are made in Corsica, but all still undergo final aging in the limestone caves of Roquefort near Toulouse in southern France, where the cool and humid atmosphere promotes growth of the mold Penicillium roqueforti. By French law, only cheese that is processed at Roquefort, France, may be labeled “Roquefort cheese”; other French blue-veined cheeses are called “bleu” cheese.

Roquefort is generally formed in 5-pound (2.3-kilogram) cylinders of about 7-inch (18-centimetre) diameter and 4-inch thickness. The white paste of the interior is marbled with blue mold; the cheese is wrapped in foil bearing a traditional insignia of red sheep. Dry red wine is considered an ideal accompaniment.