Is Humboldt Fog a blue cheese? What’s the grey line running through the middle?
Humboldt Fog is not a blue cheese, but that’s a common misconception. The grey line running through the center of Humboldt Fog and around the outside under the rind is an odorless, tasteless, and completely edible vegetable ash. The ash adds a beautiful aesthetic and is an ode to the French cheese Morbier, but it also helps the mold to grow on the outside of the cheese. Goat cheese is quite acidic, and the ash helps to bring up the pH and encourages mold growth, which in turn becomes the rind of the cheese.
