Stilton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of English cheese known for its blue veins and creamy texture used in cooking and as a table cheese
2. A distinguished variety of blue-veined cheese originating from England, recognized for its crumbly yet creamy consistency and rich flavor
3. A traditional English cheese characterized by its distinctive blue mold, sharp taste, and crumbly to creamy mouthfeel, often enjoyed with wine or in recipes

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this cheese's name is that it belongs to a village, not a cheesemaker. Stilton is a place in Cambridgeshire, recorded in the Domesday Book as "Stichiltone", and its name combines the Old English "stigel", meaning "stile", with "tūn", meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". So the name roughly means "the settlement by the stile". The cheese took its name from the village because that is where it was originally sold. Travellers on the Great North Road stopped at the Bell Inn in Stilton, and the cheese became associated with the place through that trade, though the exact story of how it came to be sold there is less certain than the name itself.

Synonyms: blue cheese, English cheese