Characterized by its piquant odor, ribbons of blue mold running through a creamy cheese base made from sheep’s milk, and its sharp and salty flavor, Roquefort cheese can be a little off-putting to the uninitiated. Yet, once you’ve spread a bit of this French cheese on a slice of a soft but crusty baguette, you’re hooked. The true problem –- beyond its sometimes off-putting odor –- is finding Roquefort cheese in stores. Thankfully, Molly Browne, education director at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, a nonprofit created to increase the sale and consumption of Wisconsin milk and dairy products, knows that there is a blue cheese for everyone and has some suggested alternatives from her home state.

“Wisconsin is home to many exceptional varieties of blue cheese that may be easier to find than Roquefort,” says Browne, a co-founder and the dean of mongers at Cheese State University, which provides education and networking opportunities for cheese professionals and calls itself the “Ivy League of cheese education.”

Substitutes for pure sheep’s milk cheese

True Roquefort cheese –- with a capital R -– is a legal French designation for cheese that must be made of raw sheep’s milk and aged in limestone caves in southern France. Roquefort –- with a lower case R –- is a Food and Drug Administration designation for sheep’s milk blue cheese made here in the United States. For those who want to stick with a sheep milk cheese, Molly Browne of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin recommends Deer Creek The Indigo Bunting, which includes a dose of cow cream. The cow cream, Browne tells Chowhound, “transforms the cheese into a dense, silky, delicious option.”

Another great mixed milk option she recommends is Breezy Blue from Kingston Creamery. “This is a blend of cow and goat milk that yields a toasty, savory, zippy blue that I am absolutely craving these days,” Brown explains. She says you also can’t go wrong with Hook’s Original Blue, which is made by Wisconsin master cheesemaker Tony Hook.

If you’re unsure whether you’re a blue cheese or Roquefort fan, you may be enticed by some sweet and savory options. Some of these cheeses pair well with Girl Scout cookies or, perhaps, you could use a bit of blue cheese in your ice cream. With these options and Browne’s suggestions, you’ll eventually become a fan.

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