Blue cheese runs from gentle and creamy to genuinely fierce, and the trick is knowing which end of that range you want.

Ireland makes some of the best blues anywhere — Cashel Blue and Crozier among them — and they sit here alongside Roquefort, Stilton and Gorgonzola. Some are mild enough to convert a sceptic; others are for people who already know exactly what they are after.

Blue is the easiest cheese to pair well. Something sweet and fortified alongside it — a Sauternes, a port, or honey straight from the jar — turns the salt into an asset.

See also sweet and fortified wines, honeys and strong cheeses.