The Cheesy Truth: Italian Food's Favorite Melt

Italy is a country with a rich history of cheese-making, with over 400 types of Italian cheese to choose from. Each region in Italy has its own local cheese, representing the local farming heritage and culture.

Mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta are some of the most popular Italian cheeses. However, there are many more to discover, such as:

- Grana Padano, a hard cheese made from cow's milk in the Po Valley.

- Gorgonzola, a famous Italian blue cheese with a pungent smell and strong taste.

- Pecorino Romano, a hard and salty cheese made from Italian sheep's milk.

- Asiago, an aged cheese from northern Italy with a smooth and mild flavour when fresh, and a crumbly and sharper flavour when aged.

- Mascarpone, a very creamy cheese with a high fat content, traditionally used in the classic Italian dessert tiramisu.

- Burrata, a soft shell of mozzarella filled with strings of mozzarella curd and fresh cream.

- Fontina, a semi-soft cheese from the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, with a sweet and pungent flavour.

- Taleggio, a semi-soft cheese from Lombardy with a pungent smell and mild taste.

- Provolone, a semi-hard cheese with nutty and waxy notes.

- Stracciatella, a creamy fresh cheese with a liquid texture, often used as the soft centre of burrata.

Mozzarella: made from buffalo milk, this soft Italian cheese is creamier than its grocery store counterpart

Mozzarella is a soft white cheese originating from the Campania region of Italy. It is one of the most famous Italian cheeses and is used in a variety of dishes, including pizzas, pastas, and salads.

Mozzarella is traditionally made from buffalo milk, though many modern producers opt for cheaper cow's milk instead. The buffalo milk variety, known as Mozzarella di Bufala, is creamier and more flavourful than its cow's milk counterpart. It is produced using the pasta filata, or stretched-curd, method of production, where curds are kneaded until they reach a stringy, fibrous texture.

Mozzarella di Bufala is much more than a pizza topping. It can be enjoyed on its own, as a filling in sandwiches, or as a component of a Caprese salad. It pairs well with fresh ingredients like basil, tomatoes, and olive oil.

Mozzarella is also available in bite-sized balls called bocconcini, which are perfect for antipasti plates and salads. Blocks of mozzarella and shredded mozzarella are considered low-moisture or aged and are better suited for pizzas as they melt better and don't release liquid when heated.

Parmigiano Reggiano: Italy's king of cheeses, this hard cheese is made from cow's milk and crumbly in texture

Parmigiano Reggiano, commonly known as Parmesan, is a traditional raw cow's milk hard cheese from Northern Italy. It is considered the "King of Cheeses" in Italy and has been awarded the best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards 2022.

Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena, as well as in specific regions of Bologna, Mantua, and Emilia-Romagna. The name Parmigiano Reggiano is derived from these two areas, with "Parmigiano" referring to the Italian province of Parma and "Reggiano" to the province of Reggio Emilia.

The process of making Parmigiano Reggiano has remained faithful to its traditional crafting method and unique flavour. It is made from unpasteurised cow's milk, with the evening milk being collected and left to rest overnight, then skimmed and mixed with fresh whole milk from the morning milking. Calf rennet and fermented whey are added to the mixture, and once the curd sets, it is cut into tiny granules. The curd is then cooked to 55°C (130°F), forming a large single mass that is divided in half and placed into moulds to form the cheese wheels.

The maturation process for Parmigiano Reggiano is lengthy, following the natural rhythm of the seasons in Northern Italy. The youngest wheels are matured for a minimum of 12 months, and further maturation of up to 40 months can be undertaken. The cheese is inspected by the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, and those that pass the test are heat-branded with the Consorzio's logo.

Parmigiano Reggiano has a strong fruity and nutty taste, with a hard and crumbly texture. It is commonly grated over pasta dishes, stirred into soups and risottos, or enjoyed on its own. It pairs well with white and red wines, particularly Pinot Grigio, Marsanne, Roussane, Corvina, Barbera, and Gamay.

The history of Parmigiano Reggiano dates back to the Middle Ages, when Benedictine and Cistercian monks first produced it to create a long-lasting cheese. The name was already famous in the 13th and 14th centuries, as evidenced by its mention in Boccaccio's "Decameron". The cheese's production spread to the areas of Parma, Modena, and Reggio Emilia, and it has been a staple in Italian cuisine ever since.

Parmigiano Reggiano is highly regarded and protected, with strict regulations in place to ensure only cheeses made according to specific standards can bear the name. It has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, and its name, Parmigiano Reggiano, is protected under Italian and European law.

Grana Padano: a hard cheese with a more delicate taste and crumbly texture than Parmigiano Reggiano

Grana Padano is a hard cheese with a delicate taste and crumbly texture. It is made with unpasteurized cows' milk that is semi-skimmed and originates from the Po Valley in northern Italy. The Italian word "grana" refers to its grainy texture, and "padano" means "from Val Padana" (the Po Valley).

Grana Padano is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan), but with less strict regulations governing its production. It is made with milk from free-range cows that are allowed to graze on fresh forage and silage. The cheese is produced in a similar way to Parmesan but over a much wider area and with different regulations and controls.

Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese that is cooked and ripened slowly for at least nine months. It has a dense and somewhat flaky texture, with a savoury and nutty taste. It can be enjoyed on its own or as an accompaniment to a dish. The cheese is traditionally produced in several territories throughout the Po Valley, including Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trento, parts of Emilia-Romagna, and some municipalities within the South Tyrol.

Grana Padano is sold in three different ripening stages: "Grana Padano" (9 to 16 months), "Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi" (over 16 months), and "Grana Padano Riserva" (over 20 months). The longer the cheese is aged, the crumblier the texture becomes, and the more pronounced the taste.

Grana Padano is a popular grating cheese, often used with pasta, salads, and roasted vegetables. Its slight sweetness also makes it a good choice for fruity or nutty desserts, especially when paired with figs and berries.

Gorgonzola: a famous Italian blue cheese with a pungent smell and strong taste

Gorgonzola is a famous Italian blue cheese with a pungent smell and strong taste. It takes its name from the small town in the Lombardy region where it is produced. It is one of the most popular Italian cheeses and is distinguishable by its greenish-blue veins. Gorgonzola is made from whole cow's milk, with the addition of bacteria and spores during the ageing process to create its unique flavour and appearance.

There are two types of Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola Dolce, which is slightly sweeter and creamier, and Gorgonzola Piccante, which is aged for longer and has a sharper, more pungent taste. The Dolce variety is softer and crumblier, with a rich flavour that strikes a perfect balance between sharpness and sweetness. This variety is often drizzled with truffle honey and sprinkled with nuts, and is perfect as an appetizer or even a cheese dessert.

Gorgonzola is most commonly used in pasta sauces and creamy risottos, and is one of the toppings on a classic quattro formaggi pizza. It is also delicious on a cheese board, especially when paired with fruits like pears, figs, and grapes, as well as with honey and walnuts. It is commonly enjoyed with bread and crackers, and is often accompanied by a glass of red wine.

Asiago: a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed fresh or aged, with a flavour profile ranging from sweet and buttery to robust and sharp

Asiago is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed fresh or aged, with a flavour profile ranging from sweet and buttery to robust and sharp.

Asiago is a cow's milk cheese that originates from the beautiful region of Veneto, specifically the Asiago Plateau nestled within northeastern Italy. The cheese-making tradition in this region dates back over 1,000 years, but it was only in the 19th century that cow's milk replaced sheep's milk in cheese production.

The characteristics of Asiago change significantly as it ages. When it is young and freshly pressed, it is known as Asiago Pressato, with a soft texture and sweet, buttery flavours. As it ages, it hardens and boasts a rich, robust, and slightly sharp taste that intensifies with time. Italians grate aged Asiago over pasta, melt it on pizza, or enjoy it as an appetizer, savouring its complex flavours.

Asiago Pressato, or fresh Asiago, is typically aged for about a month, resulting in a smooth and mild cheese. On the other hand, Asiago d'allevo, or aged Asiago, can be aged for up to two years, producing a crumbly cheese with a sharper and nuttier flavour. The longer ageing process allows the cheese to develop a more pronounced and distinct character.

The versatility of Asiago makes it a delightful addition to various dishes. Fresh Asiago is often enjoyed on its own or as part of a cheese board, offering a creamy and mild taste experience. In contrast, aged Asiago, with its sharper and nuttier notes, can be used as an alternative to Parmesan. Its harder texture makes it ideal for grating over pasta, pizza, or salad, adding a burst of flavour to these dishes.

Whether you savour it fresh or aged, Asiago cheese is a testament to the rich cheese-making traditions of the Veneto region. Its ability to adapt to different dishes and its range of flavours make it a favourite among cheese enthusiasts.

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