a blue cheese flavorant is prepared by first hydrolyzing a reaction medium of an animal or vegetable fats and oils having c 4 to c 14 triglycerides with an enzyme which liberates c 4 to c 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 4 and c 14 fatty acids alone may be fermented to obtain the flavorant .