Roquefort Société: a unique taste to remember
Iva Kuhtić, the marketing director of Dukat, whose brand Président - the leading partner of Gault&Millau Croatia - awarded the winners of the Trophy Great Chef of Tomorrow with a trip to the south of France, talks about a visit to these unique caves where Roquefort cheese ripens
Why did you want to reward the Great Chefs of Tomorrow with a visit to the caves of the Roquefort Société?
The world rests on young people, and that's why we wanted to provide them with an unforgettable and educational experience. Président, as a leading European cheese expert, had the opportunity to take our Great Chefs of Tomorrow to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in southern France, a place under which there is a complex network of limestone caves, where Roquefort – the sheep's cheese with blue noble mold - ripens. This special cheese has been labeled as Protected Origin (AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) since 1925, which means that it can only be produced in this region, in France, namely Roquefort-sur-Soulzon at the foot of Mountain Combalou. The most famous and best quality Roquefort in the world is the one produced by Société Roquefort, also available on the Croatian market.
The chefs had the opportunity to get to know the entire process of production, ripening and storage of this special cheese. They also visited a farm that produces sheep's milk and finally enjoyed tasting Roquefort cheeses.
The influence of the caves, which are truly imposing, in the Roquefort production process is irreplaceable. These limestone caves have specific microclimatic conditions ideal for ripening Roquefort; constant temperature and humidity that enable the development of the mold Penicillium roqueforti which gives the cheese its characteristic: the blue marble appearance and taste. It is about a unique process of production and ripening, and a cheese that deservedly occupies one of the crowning places in France and world gastronomy. It was an immense honour and pleasure for us to enable our chefs to experience all the specialness and uniqueness of French gastronomy and cheese making.
What impressed you the most during this trip?
In addition to the incredible experience that the Roquefort Société caves brought us, this trip will certainly be remembered for the enthusiasm, passion and openness of our chefs. As we used this study trip to get acquainted with French cuisine and only the best French cheeses, it was a pleasure to watch the chefs enjoying and being inspired by the smells and tastes of French cuisine. I believe that this trip and learning will remain in their fond memories and that it will contribute to their professional development.
How do you consider that closed circle of synergy of tradition, the work of the local community and a top class, world-renowned product?
You noted that well, and thank you for that. I think that only through the synergy of milk producers, us as the milk processors and the local community we can create a high-quality product, which is highly valued and loved, even when it is moved from the local context, like Société Roquefort, but also for example, our Président Ribanac cheese.
This favourite cheese of the people from Croatia is a combination of the traditional production that began in 1956, the dedication of our farmers in the production of the highest quality raw materials for its production, and our dedication to the production of this flagship of Croatian cheesemakers. The locals of Bjelovar are extremely proud of the cheeses from our Bjelovar factory. Many of them are our employees, and it is from their hands, from their town and from locally produced milk, that one of the most famous Croatian cheeses arrives on store shelves across the country.
That's what the road signs at the entrance to Bjelovar say, welcoming and greeting their guests and residents with the message: Welcome to Bjelovar - the city of cheese!
