This process also helps seal the interior of the cheese from oxygen at this early stage. After several weeks, the wheels of Stilton are pierced with a long needle several times on the top and bottom.

Claudia Romeo: Today we're in the village of Colston Bassett in Nottinghamshire, England, to learn more about how blue Stilton cheese is made. Today we're going to learn about its history and ...

The name is protected, meaning that all cheese sold as Stilton must be made in the manner laid down in 1969, but there is also an unpasteurised version available, sold under the name Stichelton.

But the two aren't synonymous since there are also plenty of other cheeses that fit in the "blue" category, such as roquefort, stilton ... metal rods into wheels of cheese to allow air circulation ...