Abstract: A method for producing blue cheese from pasteurized or heat treated milk, characterized by the addition to the cheese curds from which the whey has been drained, of a mixture of lipase, a Penicillium mold spore species, and salt. The Penicillium species may include Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum, and the lipase is preferably a microbial lipase formed from Aspergilli ssp., Penicillium ssp. or Rhizopus ssp., or suitable animal lipase sources. The resultant cheese product is imparted with the appropriate blue cheese flavor with required rancidity in a greatly shortened period of time (i.e., about 2 to 4 months).