Charles VI of France loved Roquefort cheese so much he granted a royal monopoly to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon on June 4, 1411.

Only cheese made by one of 30 families living in the town of Roquefort was allowed to carry the Roquefort name. 

“Roquefort is not just aged — it’s born from the wind. The caves breathe, and the cheese adapts.”
Maître affineur Jean-Claude Fayet

I guess that makes Roquefort both the Cheese of Kings and the King of Cheeses. (Leave me alone. I’ve been saving that silliness for 4 weeks now. I’m sure I lost a few brain cells sitting on this.)
 

Roquefort
From 2006
Part of France’s Portraits of Regions 7 series
Designer: Bruno Ghiringhelli 
Despite it’s high status as the Cheese King, there is just one stamp featuring Roquefort. 

Roquefort is an ancient cheese revered for centuries, often called “the cheese of kings and popes” in France. Legend has it that over a thousand years ago, a young shepherd, distracted by his sweetheart, left his lunch of bread and cheese in a cave. When he returned days later, he found the cheese transformed by blue-green mould, creating a flavour unlike anything he had tasted before. Whether this tale is fact or folklore, it captures the mystique surrounding Roquefort. By law, this cheese must be matured in the limestone caves of the Combalou mountain in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, ensuring its authenticity and unique qualities.
https://academyofcheese.org/roquefort/

Many cheeses are pretenders to the stinky cheese throne, but there will only be one true Roquefort. What makes it unique? A strong and, well, aromatic wedge of the King of Cheeses is a special treat. It’s matured in limestone caves found in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon where the environment encourages the growth of a special mould, Penicillium Roqueforti that is injected into the milk.  

To understand Roquefort, you must first understand the mountain. The village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon sits upon a collapsed limestone plateau. Millions of years of geological shifting created a vast network of underground caves and fissures.

These fissures are known as fleurines. They are not just cracks in the rock; they are the lungs of the mountain.

The fleurines connect the subterranean cellars to the open air above, creating a natural ventilation system that is impossible to replicate artificially. This airflow acts as a constant, cool breath, maintaining a steady temperature of around 48°F (9°C) and a high humidity level of 95% year-round. It is a microclimate of absolute perfection.

If the caves were sealed tight, the cheese would spoil. If they were too drafty, the cheese would dry out. The fleurines regulate the environment with a precision that modern technology still struggles to mimic. It is here, in these dark, damp cathedrals of limestone, that the magic of blue cheese aging takes place.
https://www.markys.com/blog/the-caves-of-roquefort-inside-the-natural-blue-cheese-chambers-carved-by-wind-and-time

0€ France-Caves Roquefort Société
Souvenir euro note from Roquefort Société showing cheese lined up in rows in the caves
 

Its special status was re-affirmed August 31, 1666 by the Toulouse Parliament who issued an edict stating ” the only genuine Roquefort comes from the cellars in the town bearing its name”. The edict went further, laying out punishments for counterfeiting Roquefort.  

1666 Toulouse Parliament Edict

In 1925 the cheese was given a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which meant only cheeses from the Roquefort region made using traditional methods were allowed to be labelled Roquefort. In 1951, it was given international recognition.

Known simply as the “King of Cheeses”, this raw, sheep’s-milk, cave-aged Bleu cheese had French royalty bowing before its sultry green/blue eyes since the 1400’s. Even Pliny the Elder spoke of its wonders in his Naturalis Historia in the First Century.
https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/best-french-blue-cheeses

Now that we’re done with the cheese part of the menu, check out these SODs for dessert: 

Dress in your colourful best & wish Gudrun Sjödén a happy birthday

On June 3,1844 great auks discovered humans are not stewards of the earth