Frederic Melton
Gorgonzola is a pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk. It is believed to have originated in the 9th century in the town of Gorgonzola, Milan, Italy. The cheese gets its distinctive greenish-blue marbling from the piercing of its rind with steel needles, promoting the growth of mould within the body. Gorgonzola is typically aged for three to four months, during which metal rods are inserted and removed, creating air channels that allow mould spores to grow and cause the cheese's characteristic veining.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main Ingredients | Cow's milk, carefully selected yeasts, and rennet |
| Milk Type | Unskimmed |
| Milk Source | Cows feeding on natural forage in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont |
| Milk Delivery | Fresh milk delivered daily to local creameries |
| Milk Monitoring | Rigorous monitoring to confirm the quality of the milk |
| Milk Pasteurization | Yes |
| Curdling | Yes |
| Whey Removal | Yes |
| Aging Temperature | 52-54F |
| Aging Moisture | 93-95% |
| Aging Duration | Minimum of 50 days; typically 3-4 months |
| Aging Technique | Piercing with steel needles or sanitized #2 knitting needles to promote marbling |
| Texture | Firm, crumbly, or soft and creamy |
| Flavor | Mild, creamy, sweet, or pungent |
| Geographical Indication | Novara, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Pavia, Varese, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli, and comuni in the area of Casale Monferrato |
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What You'll Learn
Gorgonzola is made from cow's milk
Gorgonzola is a pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed or full-bodied cow's milk. It is believed to have originated in the 9th century in the town of Gorgonzola, Milan, Italy, from which it gets its name. The town continues to celebrate an annual Gorgonzola festival in September.
Gorgonzola is made from a mixture of carefully selected yeasts and rennet, which is added to pasteurized cow's milk. The milk is then transferred to large tanks, where it coagulates and curdles into a firm paste. The curd is then cut and separated, allowing the whey to be released. The curds are then placed in molds and brined with sea salt, before being left to age. During this process, the rind is pierced with steel needles to promote marbling, which gives the cheese its distinctive veining. Gorgonzola is typically aged for three to four months, and the minimum maturation time is 50 days.
The unique flavour of Gorgonzola is attributed to the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, where the cows that produce the milk feed on natural forage. The cheese is known for its decadent, buttery, and creamy flavours, with a slightly acidic finish when young, and a stronger, piquant taste when mature.
Gorgonzola Dolce, or 'The Sweet One', is a younger version of Gorgonzola, known for its mild, creamy, and sweet flavour, and soft, spreadable texture. It is made by adding blue mould to a small amount of milk to rehydrate it, before adding it to the full batch of milk. The milk is heated to 90°F (32°C), and once it reaches this temperature, cultures and the rehydrated mould are added.
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The milk is pasteurised and coagulated
Gorgonzola cheese is made from cow's milk. The milk is collected from cows that feed on natural forage on pastures in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions of Italy. The milk is then pasteurised, a process that involves heating the milk to a high temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria and prolong its shelf life.
After pasteurisation, the milk is coagulated. Coagulation is the process of curdling the milk, which involves adding a mixture of carefully selected yeasts and rennet to the milk. This mixture is then transferred to large tanks, where the milk curdles and forms a firm paste. The curds are then cut and separated, allowing the whey (the liquid left after milk has been curdled) to be released.
The curds are then placed into moulds and brined with sea salt. The moulds are then left to age, and during this process, the rind is pierced with steel needles to promote the marbling effect within the body of the cheese. The piercing of the rind creates air channels that allow mould spores to grow and cause the cheese's characteristic veining. The cheese is typically aged for three to four months, and after a minimum of 50 days of maturing, it can be labelled as Gorgonzola.
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Curds are cut and separated
After the milk curdles to form a firm paste, the curd is cut and separated, releasing the whey. The curds are then placed in moulds and brined with sea salt. The moulds are then left to age. During this process, the rind is pierced with steel needles to promote marbling within the body of the cheese. This is also how the cheese gets its characteristic veining. The cheese is then aged at low temperatures for three to four months. After a minimum of 50 days of maturing, the cheese can be labelled Gorgonzola.
The moulds are pierced with holes to create the proper openings for mould growth. The target temperature for the curds is 80–90 °F for the next 4–6 hours. The mould should be turned after it has been filled to allow the weight of the cheese to form a smooth surface. The cheese should then be turned several more times during the first hour and then at least once each hour for the next four hours.
The cheese is aged at 52–54 °F and 93–95% moisture. If the rind becomes dry, the moisture should be increased, and if the surface becomes too wet, the moisture should be decreased. The cheese is then left to age for 7–10 days. After this, the cheese is ready for its final ageing and will be ready to eat in about 90 days.
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Curds are placed in moulds and brined
Gorgonzola, a pungent Italian blue cheese, is made from unskimmed or full-bodied cow's milk. The process of making Gorgonzola cheese involves several steps, and one of the most important ones is placing the curds in moulds and brining them.
Once the milk is pasteurised and coagulated, it curdles to form a firm paste. The curd is then cut and separated, allowing the whey to be released. At this stage, the curds are placed in moulds and brined with sea salt. This step is crucial for the development of flavour and texture in the final product.
When placing the curds in moulds, they are packed tightly around the edges to create a smooth surface, while the centre is left loose to allow for proper openings for mould growth. The curds are then kept warm for several hours to maintain the right temperature for the cultures to continue producing acid. This process is carefully controlled to ensure the desired flavour and texture profile.
During the brining process, the moulds are placed in a warm environment with pans of hot water and an insulated cover to maintain the target temperature of 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-6 hours. The moulds are turned regularly during this time to ensure even distribution of the curds and the formation of a smooth surface.
After brining, the Gorgonzola cheese is left to age. During this ageing process, the rind is pierced with steel needles or knitting needles to promote the growth of mould spores and create the characteristic veining of Gorgonzola cheese. The cheese is typically aged for three to four months before it is ready for consumption.
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The cheese is aged and pierced with needles
Gorgonzola cheese is aged at low temperatures, typically for three to four months. During the ageing process, the rind is pierced with steel needles, which create air channels that allow mould spores to grow and cause the cheese's characteristic greenish-blue veining. This process is known as erborinatura, the creation of mould. The cheese is aged for an initial 7-10 days, after which it is pierced with holes about 3/4 to 1 inch apart using a sanitized needle. It then undergoes a final ageing process and is ready to be served in about 90 days. The minimum maturation period for Gorgonzola is 50 days.
The distinctive greenish-blue marbling of Gorgonzola is said to have been discovered by accident in the 11th century. According to a Lombardy legend, a cheese maker added fresh curds to a vat and left it open overnight. He had forgotten about the curds in his rush to meet his lover. When he realised his mistake, he tried to fix it by adding fresh curds to the vat. A few months later, he was surprised to find a new bluish mould had grown on the cheese. When he tasted it, he found that it had a surprisingly great and unique flavour.
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Frequently asked questions
Gorgonzola is a pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk.
Gorgonzola is produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Gorgonzola is typically aged for three to four months.
Gorgonzola Dolce, also known as 'The Sweet One' in Italy, is a younger version of Gorgonzola with a milder, creamier, and sweeter flavour.
To make Gorgonzola, fresh milk is delivered daily to local creameries where it undergoes rigorous monitoring to ensure it maintains its full-bodied flavour after pasteurization. A mixture of carefully selected yeasts and rennet is then added to the pasteurized milk, which is then transferred to large tanks to coagulate the milk and trigger the marbling effect. The milk then curdles to a firm paste, and the curd is cut and separated to release the whey. The curds are then placed in molds and brined with sea salt before being aged at low temperatures. During the ageing process, metal rods are inserted and removed to create air channels that allow mould spores to grow and cause the cheese's characteristic veining.
