Rochebaron is a soft blue cheese

Blue cheese

Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or...

 made from pasteurised cow's milk, in the town of Beauzac

Beauzac

Beauzac is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France....

 in the Auvergne

Auvergne (région)

Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...

 region

Régions of France

France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...

, in the Massif Central

Massif Central

The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

This cheese is one of several that are made by curdling milk and separating the curd

Curd

Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...

s from the whey

Whey

Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...

. Pressed into moulds, Rochebaron is then pierced with wires impregnated with penicillium glaucum

Penicillium glaucum

Penicillium glaucum is a mold which is used in the making of some types of blue cheese, including Bleu de Gex, Rochebaron and some varieties of Bleu d'Auvergne and Gorgonzola...

to produce blue veins through the soft whitish body of the cheese. The crust is a dull unappetising grey made from edible ashes.

Rochebaron is usually sold as a single cheese with an average weight of 600 grams (1.3 lb).