Abstract: A blue cheese flavorant is prepared by first hydrolyzing a reaction medium of an animal or vegetable fats and oils having C.sub.4 to C.sub.14 triglycerides with an enzyme which liberates C.sub.4 to C.sub.14 fatty acids from the fats and oils in a reaction mixture. A culture medium containing the liberated fatty acids, and which may include unhydrolyzed fats and oils from the reaction mixture, is prepared and inoculated with spores of Penicillium roqueforti. The inoculated culture medium is fermented under submerged aerobic conditions while being agitated. The fermented culture medium then is pasteurized for deactivating the spores and a blue cheese flavorant product is obtained from the pasteurized, deactivated culture medium. Alternatively, C.sub.4 and C.sub.14 fatty acids alone may be fermented to obtain the flavorant.