Mouldy Cheese Day

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The 9th of October is Mouldy Cheese Day.

It’s a celebration of cheese that’s supposed to have mould in or on it. Though sometimes, admittedly, it’s a challenge to know if you are supposed to eat the mouldy rind or not!

White mould cheeses such as brie and Camembert typically have a mild flavour, while green or blue mould cheeses such as gorgonzola or Stilton have a sharper, more pronounced flavour.

Did you know, there’s even a mouldy cheese related to the famous Maytag family? Yep, that’s right, Maytag Blue Cheese.

Some people not in-the-know think that today’s the day to root through your fridge for cheese that’s gone mouldy — and throw it out. Jokes aside, many people don’t know when it is and isn’t safe to just remove the mould from cheese that isn’t supposed to be mouldy, and eat the remaining cheese. We’ve listed some information resources below to help you find out.

So go grab your crackers and your chutneys to make up a cheese tray that can stand up to the more pronounced tastes of mouldy cheeses, and let’s celebrate them bringing such a range of flavours to our palates.

#MoldyCheeseDay #MouldyCheeseDay

See also: Blue Cheeses, Brie, Camembert

Activities for today

Have friends over for a mouldy cheese dinner;
serve a mouldy cheese cheese tray before dinner;
serve recipes made with blue cheese;
serve blue cheese as part of a fruit and cheese tray for dessert (pears go well with blue cheese);
burn a blue-cheese scented candle;
and, of course, play cheesy music.

Recipes

When is mouldy cheese safe and unsafe?

Should Moldy Cheese Be Thrown Away? (Ohio State University)
If food has mold, is it safe to eat? (USDA)
If cheese has mold growing on it, should I throw it away? (Mayo Clinic)
Do You Know… Can You Eat Moldy Cheese? (US Dairy)
Moldy Cheese: “Grate” or Gross? (Food Insight)
Mold-Ripened Cheese and Mold Allergic Individuals (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
What to do about mold on cheese (Ohio State University)

History

The earliest print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a “Mouldy Cheese Day” in October dates from 2001, in Iowa:

“This fall celebrate your summer gardening skills with Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Night Aug. 8, and clean out your refrigerator before winter sets in and get a bonus holiday — National Moldy Cheese Day Oct. 9.” — Hemenway-Forbes, Meta. Weird Holidays. Waterloo, Iowa: The Courier. Friday, 12 January 2001. Page B5, col. 3.

The writer attributed her sources to “www.hidates.com, www.123greetings.com and http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/.”

Sources

3 Surprising Ways to Celebrate National Moldy Cheese Day. NBC News. 9 October 2014. Accessed September 2021 at https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/3-surprising-ways-celebrate-national-moldy-cheese-day-n221806

Loughlin, Ryan. Weekly Wacky Holiday: National Moldy Cheese Day. Pleasantville, New Jersey: The Press of Atlantic City. 9 October 2018. Accessed September 2021 at
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/attheshore/events/weekly-wacky-holiday-national-moldy-cheese-day/article_f0b62179-14a6-5182-ba44-692960add5b3.html

Steintrager, Megan O. Get the blues: 3 surprising ways to celebrate Moldy Cheese Day! Today. 8 October 2014. Accessed September 2021 at https://www.today.com/food/its-national-moldy-cheese-day-try-these-3-surprising-blue-2D80202883

Young, Colin. Colin Young visits Martin Moyden in Wistanswick who makes a variety of mouldy cheeses. BBC Radio Shropshire. 8 October 2014. Accessed September 2021 at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0279yxb