Aura

Flickr / Suvi Korhonen / CC BY 2.0

Made from pasteurized cow's milk
Country of origin: Finland
Region: Äänekoski
Family: Blue
Type: semi-soft, blue-veined
Texture: creamy
Rind: mold ripened
Colour: pale yellow
Flavour: salty, sharp, strong, tangy
Vegetarian: no
Producers: Valio
Synonyms: Auro Gold

Aura is a type of Finnish blue cheese produced in Äänekoski, Finland, by the Finnish dairy company Valio. The cheese is also sold in Canada and the United States where it is known as ‘Midnight Blue’. Aura is sold at two different ageing periods; one at 6 weeks (regular) and the other called ‘Aura Gold’ is matured until it is 12 weeks old.

Named the Aura River, which runs through the city of Turku, the cheese is matured until it obtains a semi-soft texture. The rind is soft and the taste & texture is somewhat similar to Roquefort.