Amablu
{{Short description|Minnesota blue cheese}}
{{Infobox Cheese|name=Amablu|image=280 px|othernames=|country=United States|region=Minnesota|town=Faribault|source=cow's milk|pasteurized=no|aging=75 days}}
AmaBlu, also known as Treasure Cave Blue Cheese, is an artisan blue cheese, made with unpasteurized cow milk.{{Cite web |title=Faribault AmaBlu St. Pete's Select |url=https://www.cheesemonthclub.com/amablu-st-petes-select |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club |language=en}} It is produced by the Caves of Fairbault, an artisanal cheese company in southern Minnesota.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-16 |title=Caves of Faribault Honors Minnesota's Blue Cheese Legacy |url=https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/caves-of-faribault-minnesota-blue-cheese |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=The Cheese Professor |language=en-US}} AmaBlu was the first blue cheese to be made in the United States, in 1936.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-28 |title=Cheese Lover's Guide to Minnesota |url=https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/minnesota-cheese |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=The Cheese Professor |language=en-US}} It was originally called Treasure Cave Blue Cheese. The cheese is aged in a number of man-made and natural sandstone caves. The cheese is made from raw milk that is locally produced and tested to insure quality and safety. The unique geological characteristics of the sandstone contribute to the aroma and flavor of the cheese. The cheese is creamy, and must be aged for a minimum of 75 days.{{Cite web |title=AmaBlu blue cheese |url=https://www.cheese.com/amablu-blue-cheese/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=www.cheese.com |language=en}}
History
In 1936, the Treasure Cave Cheese Company, the first commercial manufacturer of blue cheese in the United States, opened in Faribault.{{Cite web |date=1987-04-16 |title=BLUE CHEESE IS A TREASURED TRADITION FOR FAMILY IN MINNESOTA |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-04-16-8701290217-story.html |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=Chicago Tribune}} The company took advantage of natural and man-made riverbank, sandstone caves to mature its products. Their first product, then known as Treasure Cave Blue Cheese, was first made in 1936, making it the oldest blue cheese in The United States. During World War II, Minnesota became an important blue cheese center, so much so that St. Paul, Minnesota's capital, became known as the "Blue Cheese Capital of the World". Although it thrived, the company experienced a series of corporate sales and mergers beginning in 1965 that culminated in 1990 when ConAgra purchased the business and then closed the plant.
In 2001, Jeff Jirik and two former ConAgra employees, incorporated Faribault Dairy Company, Inc., re-opened the plant, and in 2002 brought back the original Treasure Cave blue cheese, now named AmaBlu, making it commercially available for the first time in 21 years.Roberts, Jeffrey (2007). The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese (First ed.). White River Junction VT: Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 238.
In 2010, Swiss Valley Farms, an Iowa cooperative of over 640 dairy farm families, purchased Faribault Dairy, renamed it the Caves of Faribault, and Jirik became Vice President of Blue Cheese Operations. The plant now processes about 180,000 pounds of milk a week, yielding approximately 20,000 pounds of cheese.Boyden, Kelli (July 11, 2011). "Swiss Valley, Faribault Dairy join forces for Caves of Faribault". Dairy Star: 9–12.
Varieties
AmaBlu cheese can be bought in numerous forms, including wedges and crumbles, which are often added to jucy lucys and steaks.{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2024 |title=kroger.com AmaBlu blue cheese crumbles |url=https://www.kroger.com/p/amablu-blue-cheese-crumbles/0082395875055 |access-date=January 3, 2024}} It can also be purchased in the form of whole 6 lb. wheels.
There are two specialty AmaBlu varieties. St. Pete's Select is cave-aged for at least 100 days and is said to have a complex, complicated, and creamy flavor. {{Cite web |title=St. Pete's Select |url=https://cavesoffaribault.com/shop/product/st-petes-select-blue-cheese/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=The Caves of Faribault |language=en}} AmaGorg is a variety of Gorgonzola cheese, aged at least 90 days. {{Cite web |title=AmaGorg |url=https://cavesoffaribault.com/shop/product/amagorg-gorgonzola/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=The Caves of Faribault |language=en}}
Awards
In 2010, AmaBlu won the "Best of Class" in the World Championship Cheese Contest hosted in Madison, Wisconsin.{{Cite web |date=2010-03-26 |title=Beyond Velveeta: Discovering award-winning Minnesota cheeses |url=https://mnprairieroots.com/2010/03/26/beyond-velveeta-discovering-award-winning-minnesota-cheeses/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=Minnesota Prairie Roots |language=en}} Since 2001, the company has received numerous state, national, and international awards and recognitions, including a Good Food Award for the St. Pete's variety in 2014. https://www.specialtyfood.com/media/uploads/article_files/GoodFoodAwardWinners.pdf P. 2
See also
References
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