Throwback Thursday: My First Blue Cheese!

I can’t remember exactly what year it was, but it was a long time ago. I was out with Sofea, her sister, and her nephews at KLCC. We were hungry and decided to grab burgers at Fuel Shack. If you know me, you know I love anything blue, blue drinks, blue desserts, even blue plates if they look cute enough. So when I saw a blue cheese burger on the menu, I was instantly sold. I mean, how bad could it be? It’s cheese, right?

Oh, how wrong I was.

Before I go further, let’s talk about what blue cheese actually is. Blue cheese is a type of cheese made using cultures of the mold Penicillium. It gives the cheese those signature blue or green veins and that strong, funky smell that some people absolutely love... and others, like me back then, can’t quite handle. It’s known for its tangy, salty, and sometimes pungent flavor, definitely not your average slice of cheddar.

So there I was, excitedly unwrapping my burger and taking my very first bite of blue cheese. The moment it hit my tongue, I regretted every life choice that led me there. The taste was so strong and sharp that I was literally holding in my vomit. I tried to play it cool in front of Sofea and her family, but internally, I was fighting for my life.

If the burger hadn’t cost me my precious few ringgit (I was still a broke student then), I would’ve left it after that first bite. But hunger won over disgust, so I forced myself to finish it. It was one of the longest meals of my life.

Funny enough, now that time has passed, I’ve noticed my taste buds have changed. I’ve started to eat things I once couldn’t stand, like jering! So maybe, just maybe, it’s time to give blue cheese another shot. Who knows, maybe the older (and hopefully wiser) me might actually enjoy it this time. Because at the end of the day, I do love cheese... just maybe not the “smells-like-feet” kind.