Bushra Griffith
Italy has over 2,500 traditional varieties of cheese, with about 500 recognised commercially. The names of Italian cheeses come from a variety of sources. Some are named after the place they were created, such as Gorgonzola, which is a city, or the region of Lombardy, which is known for Granone Lodigiano, Gorgonzola, and Mascarpone. Other names come from the production process, such as Caciocavallo, which is made by tying two wheels of cheese together to hang over a beam, or Canestrato, which is aged in willow baskets, leaving a crisscross imprint on the cheese rind. Some names are more straightforward, such as Ricotta, which means recooked in Italian, as it is made by reheating the milk protein left over from the cheese-making process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Gorgonzola cheese is named after the city of Gorgonzola. |
| Production step | Canestrato cheese is named after the Italian word for the willow baskets (canestro) in which it ages. |
| Production step | Caciocavallo cheese is named after the Italian phrase a cavallo, which refers to the tradition of tying two cheese wheels together to hang them over a beam during aging. |
| Production method | Mozzarella gets its name from the spinning and cutting process used in its production (mozzare means "to cut" in Neapolitan dialect). |
| Production method | Ricotta means "re-cooked" or "cooked twice" (ri- and cotta, respectively), referring to the process of heating milk protein left over from cheese-making (whey) and then straining the liquid from the resulting curds. |
| Milk quality | Stracchino and Strachitunt are named after the Italian word for "exhausted" (stracche), referring to the low yield but exceptional quality of milk from cows that have spent the day grazing in alpine pastures. |
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What You'll Learn
Place of origin: Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano
Italy boasts the largest variety of cheeses of any nation, with over 2,500 traditional varieties, of which about 500 are commercially recognised. Three of these cheeses are Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, and Parmigiano Reggiano, all of which are protected under EU law by a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is a pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk, believed to have been created in the 9th century. The cheese takes its name from the Lombardian town of Gorgonzola, Milan, where it originated. A legend from Lombardy claims that Gorgonzola was created when a cheese maker added new fresh curds to a vat and left it open all night. In a rush to meet his lover, he forgot about the curds, only remembering to add fresh curds to the vat a few days later. Months later, he discovered a new bluish mould had grown on the cheese, and he was surprised by its unique and delicious taste. This was also the first discovery of the process of erborinatura, the creation of mould. Gorgonzola has been recognised since 1955 as a denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) in its Dolce and Picante variations and, since 1996, has been registered as a PDO.
Grana Padano
Grana Padano is an Italian cheese that originated in the Po Valley. The Italian word "grana" refers to its grainy texture, and "padano" means "from Val Padana" (the Po Valley). It was developed by monks of Chiaravalle Abbey in the 12th century. Grana Padano was registered as a DOC in 1955 and as a European Union PDO in 1996.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is named after two of the areas which produce it, the Italian provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia. Parmigiano is the Italian adjective for the city and province of Parma, and Reggiano is the adjective for the province of Reggio Emilia. Parmigiano Reggiano is also produced in the part of Bologna west of the River Reno, in Modena, and in the part of Mantua (Lombardy) on the south bank of the River Po. According to legend, Parmigiano Reggiano was created in the course of the Middle Ages in the comune (municipality) of Bibbiano, in the province of Reggio Emilia, before its production spread to the Parma and Modena areas. Historical documents show that in the 13th and 14th centuries, Parmigiano Reggiano was already very similar to the cheese produced today, suggesting its origins can be traced even further back.
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Production steps: Canestrato, Caciocavallo
Canestrato cheese is made from the milk of goats and sheep that graze in the wild. The milk is aged in willow baskets (canestro in Italian), which leave an imprint of their crisscross pattern on the cheese rind. Canestrato Pugliese, a variety of Canestrato, has a cylindrical shape (diameter 25-34 cm, edge 10-14 cm, weight 7-14 kg) with a brownish, hard, roughness and thick rind. The interior paste is solid and very friable with a slight or more intense yellow hue depending on the cheese's age. The cheese has a characteristic piquant taste. According to PDO requirements, the fat in dry matter must be at least 38%. The geographical area of production includes the entire area of the province of Foggia and numerous municipalities in the province of Bari.
Caciocavallo is one of Italy's oldest Pasta Filata cheese varieties from Southern Italy, commonly produced in the Apennine Mountains. The name Caciocavallo translates to "horse cheese" or "cheese on horseback". The cheese is made with either sheep or cow milk. The milk is heated and mixed with a small amount of rennet to develop the curd. The curd is then cut and stirred to release the whey and reheated to maintain proper moisture. Once the curds are fully formed, the whey is drained, and they are stretched and formed by hand. The fully-formed Caciocavallo is then chilled in cold water and transferred to a brining solution. The final step in the production process involves tying the cheese near the top with rope to make a "neck" and then suspending it over a wooden rod called "Cavallo" (Italian for "horse") to mature. The maturation time ranges from three months to over a year.
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Language: Mozzarella, Ricotta
Italy has the largest variety of cheeses of any nation in the world, with over 2,500 traditional varieties, of which about 500 are commercially recognized. Two of the most popular Italian cheeses worldwide are mozzarella and ricotta.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a semi-soft, non-aged cheese prepared using the pasta filata ('stretched-curd') method. It is derived from the southern Italian dialects spoken in Apulia, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Lazio, and Marche. The term mozzarella is the diminutive form of "mozza", meaning "cut", or "mozzare", meaning "to cut off", derived from the method of working. The term is first mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi, reading "milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk".
Mozzarella is made with cow's milk or buffalo milk. The government's official name for mozzarella made with buffalo milk is mozzarella di latte di bufala, and only selected mozzarella di bufala campana PDO is a style made from the milk of Italian buffalo raised in designated areas of Campania, Lazio, Apulia, and Molise.
Ricotta
Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. The name "ricotta" is derived from the Italian "recooked" or "refined", as the whey is heated until the curds and whey separate, and then the curds are cooked again to create ricotta. Ricotta is believed to have been an invention of the Italian countryside, a direct result of travellers cooking in big kettles over open fires. In Sicily, it is known as "zammataru", which means "dairy farmer" in Sicilian, derived from the Arabic word "za’ama".
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Milk quality: Stracchino, Strachitunt
Italy boasts the largest variety of cheeses of any nation, with over 2,500 traditional varieties, of which about 500 are commercially recognised. One of these varieties is Stracchino, a cow's milk cheese typical of the regions of Lombardy, Tuscany, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Liguria. The name is derived from the Lombard adjective "strach", meaning "tired". Legend has it that the milk produced by cows that are moved seasonally up and down the Alps is richer in fats and more acidic, giving Stracchino its characteristic flavour.
Stracchino, also known as Crescenza, is eaten very young and has no rind. It has a very soft, creamy texture and a mild, slightly acidic flavour. It is usually square in shape and eaten on its own or as a filling for bread.
Stracchino is also an ancestor of Strachitunt, a cheese produced exclusively in the Bergamo region around Val Taleggio in Lombardy. Strachitunt is a blue cheese, belonging to the Stracchino family, and is produced from the milk of "stracce", or "tired cows" returning from the mountains in the fall. The cheese has a thin, furrowed, and yellowish rind that tends towards grey later in the season. Depending on its age, Strachitunt's flavour varies—younger versions are milder and sweeter with hints of mountain herbs, while older ones are sharper and more fragrant.
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Texture: Scamorza
Scamorza is an Italian cheese that belongs to the pasta filata family, which includes mozzarella, caciocavallo, and provolone. It is made from cow's milk in the southern Italian regions of Apulia, Calabria, Campania, and Molise, though it can also be made from sheep's milk in Bari. The cheese undergoes a stretching and moulding process, giving it a smooth and elastic texture similar to mozzarella.
When fresh, Scamorza has a firm and springy texture. As it ages, it becomes softer and more elastic. The cheese is shaped like a pear or a teardrop, and it comes in different sizes. The colour of the cheese is usually white, but smoked versions, known as Scamorza Affumicata, have a brownish tint. The smoking process gives the cheese an almond colour with a lighter interior.
Scamorza has a mild and slightly sweet taste, while the smoked variety has a smoky and savoury flavour. The cheese can be eaten fresh, melted in hot dishes, or grilled. The smoked version adds a distinctive flavour to dishes.
The name Scamorza may come from the Italian phrases capa mozza or testa mozzata, both meaning 'severed head'. This etymology would also explain the use of scamorza in regional Italian to mean 'fool' or 'idiot'. This is likely a reference to the pear shape of the cheese, resembling a head.
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Frequently asked questions
Gorgonzola cheese is named after the city of Gorgonzola where it was created.
Mozzarella gets its name from the spinning and cutting process used in its production—in Neapolitan dialect, "mozzare" means "to cut".
Ricotta means "re-cooked" or "cooked twice" in Italian ("ri-" meaning "again" and "cotta" meaning "cooked"). This is because the milk is heated first and then the whey is cooked again.
Caciocavallo cheese is named after a special tradition consisting of tying two cheese wheels together to hang them over a beam ("a cavallo" in Italian) where they are left to age.
Stracchino and strachitunt (literally "round stracchino") are named after the milk quality. The cows, after spending all day in the alpine pastures grazing, are exhausted ("stracche" in Italian). The milk yield is low, but the quality is exceptional.
