Italy is not only famous for pasta and pizza, but also handmade cheese .
A brief history of Italian cheese
There are about 600 different types of cheese in Italy. Some famous cheeses can be traced back several centuries, and some can be traced back to 2000 years ago. The European Commission has recognized the status of several cheeses, the most famous of which is the DOP (Protection of Origin Protection) level of protection certification.
Romans like to eat cheese, and also like to make cheese. Romano cheese made from goat's milk is a delicacy at the royal banquet. Some ancient handicrafts have recorded the process of raising goats and sheep to make cheese.
Medieval Italian monasteries are good at making high-quality cheese. Since then, cheese has not only become Italian food, but also an important economic industry in Italy, and even a cultural symbol.
About 1,000 years ago, the monks of the Chiaravale Monastery on the Po Plain in northern Italy used extra milk to make a cheese called "Grena".
This is a semi-fat hard ripened cheese, which is different because of its grainy texture. Today, it is also called "Grenaa Padano cheese." The production method today is almost exactly the same as it was hundreds of years ago.
Parmesan cheese is another well-known cheese with a long history, which is found all over the world. Its history can be traced back to the 13th century. Even now, Italian cheesemakers still insist on using traditional techniques to make Parmesan cheese.
Each region in Italy has its own local cheese, which represents the local culture. The craftsmanship of cheese making in each region also has regional characteristics, which sets it apart from other regions.
The ultimate list of Italian cheeses
There are so many varieties of Italian cheeses, today we will take stock of the more well-known varieties!
Bitu cheese
Bitu cheese is an ancient alpine cheese from the Valtellina Mountains in Lombardy. The uniqueness of this cheese is that it uses Orobic goat milk and milk from almost extinct species. Bitu Cheese is DOP cheese named after Bitu River.
This hard or semi-hard cheese comes from high-altitude pastures. No enzymes, additives or preservatives are used in the feed, and then it is milked by hand. Because it contains goat milk, the shelf life of this cheese can reach 10 years or even longer. It is better to eat at room temperature than cheese and dry red wine.
horseback cheese
horseback cheese The name represents Siena / Pienza in central Italy, including buffalo cheeses produced in the region. Sheep cheese or cow cheese. This semi-soft cheese is firm, creamy and light yellow. It has obvious aroma and mild sweet taste.
This cheese is easy to make,This includes the steaming step in Italy. Horseback cheese can be matured in less than two months.
Bagus cheese
This cheese comes from a small town in Brescia called Bagus, hence the name. It is made of milk and has a grassy aroma. In addition, it has a unique almond flavor. The maturation of Bagus cheese takes at least one year and can last for many years.
Eat this cheese at room temperature to taste a nutty flavor. Bagus cheese that is less than two years old is very suitable for filling, and can also be used as a barbecue, risotto or seasoning. Some people choose to put it on the hot polenta . When it melts, it will be mouthwateringly delicious.
mozzarella cheese
mozzarella cheese is made with water, milk or milk. Its name (Mozzarella) comes from "mozza", which means "cut", because the curd is sliced during processing.
Mozzarella cheese comes in various sizes and shapes, from small balls to braids. It has a creamy texture and a white porcelain skin. The taste is mild and has a sour taste.
Mozzarella cheese comes from Lazio and Campania area, it is the DOP of Campania. It is very suitable for Italian toast or pizza, and it goes well with Beaujolais, white wine and Sauvignon Blanc.
Fontina cheese
The history of Fontina cheese can be traced back to the 21st century.Originated in the Aosta Alpine Valley in northern Italy. It has a mild taste, with aromas of nuts, grass, honey and fruit. Fontina cheese is the basic ingredient of traditional Italian fondue. It is also used in the recipes in the traditional bitoqi.
This creamy cheese is relatively hard and matures for up to 3 months. It has small holes on it, making it ideal for melted cheese. Fontina cheese (must contain milk from cows in the Aosta Valley) is one of the first cheeses to qualify for DOP.
Castelmano cheese
Castelmano cheese has a unique texture and rich taste. Cheese manufacturers use cow's milk, goat's milk, or sheep's milk to make Castelmano cheese. Castelmano cheese matures in dry rooms and humid cellars, and needs to be washed and turned regularly to promote the natural growth of microorganisms, which is the origin of its strong yeast aroma.
This ancient semi-hard cheese was first produced 1,000 years ago and is named after the production area. Castelmano cheese is also a cheese protected by DOP. It can be eaten directly or with polenta, beef, or rice. Pasta and other food.
Gorgonzola cheese
Gorgonzola cheese can be traced back to Roman times, a group of cows from Alps under a herd of cows named Gorgonzola Grazing in the fields near the city of Argonzola, the grass they eat is called "quartirolla".
There is also an origin legend,It can be traced back to the 15th century, when a herder neglected his job because he wanted to date his lover. He mixed the curd in the morning with the curd the night before to create a cheese that remains soft even after maturing.
In order to dry the cheese, the cheese maker uses sticks to perforate the cheese and at the same time creates space for mold to grow inside. DOP-certified Gorgonzola cheese must be made only from mother's milk raised in Lombardy or Piedmont. It has a sweet taste and a bit of spicy flavor. The texture can be soft or creamy, so it can be paired with a variety of wines.
Burrata cheese
Burrata cheese is a fresh cheese made from heavy cream and mozzarella cheese. Therefore, Burrata means "butter" in Italian. Burrata cheese comes from the region of Puglia in southern Italy. The outside of this cheese is milk or buffalo cheese, and the inside is a mixture of fresh cream and curd.
Since brata cheese contains fresh cheese, it should be eaten as soon as it is prepared. Serve at room temperature and can be served with crusty bread, prosciutto, pasta, salad and fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.
Polovro cheese
Polovro cheese originated in the valley of Northern Italy, especially Veneto and Lombardy. Not all Polovro cheese is DOP, but Valpadana Polovro cheese and Monaco Polovro cheese are DOP.
This is a light yellow semi-hard cheese with a hard and granular texture. Polovro cheese has a pleasant aroma, and has a mild, spicy, sweet and full-bodied taste. It comes in two forms, one is spicy Polovro cheese, which has been matured for more than 4 months and has a strong flavor. The other is the sweet and soft Polovro cheese, matured for about 2 to 3 months, with a sweet taste.
Polovro cheese pairs well with rich aged red wine. It is usually served with bread, flatbread and chutney.
Mascarpone cheese
This triple milk cheese is more like cream. It is fresh and gentle, and easy to apply. Mascarpone cheese is a common ingredient in tiramisu. This cheese comes from milk and originated in the Lombardy region of southern Italy. It is made by adding citric acid or acetic acid to milk fat.
Mascarpone cheese works well in both savory and sweet recipes. It goes well with brandy, espresso and chocolate.
Taregio cheese
This semi-soft cheese comes from Valtaregio in Lombardy, hence the name. This is a soft and spicy cheese with a grayish-red rind and white on the inside. Tarreggio cheese has a mild, full-bodied flavor with some fruity flavors. Tarreggio cheese is a semi-soft cheese made from milk and is also designated as DOP.
What’s interesting is thatTarreggio cheese is also said to have aphrodisiac effect. Tarreggio cheese is very suitable for salads and can be paired with a variety of white and red wines.
Tomero cheese
Tomero cheese is a fresh soft cheese made from raw milk. Tomello cheese is exclusively produced in Cammarata in , , a region famous for its wine and food.
Tomello cheese has a slight aromatic smell, sweet and slightly acidic. Tomello cheese goes well with white wine and smoked beer.
ashago cheese
ashago cheese is another popular Italian cheese whose texture changes over time. Fresh asiago cheese has a smooth texture and becomes crumbly at the back. Ashago cheese is made from creamy milk from the province of Vicenza and has a soft nutty flavor.
Asciago cheese is a DOP cheese, and it also holds a certificate issued by a special association. The certificate guarantees that pure Asciago cheese meets quality standards and guarantees compliance with strict production requirements. Asciago cheese is eaten with many foods and beverages, but long-aged Asciago cheese can be paired with ham, biscuits, green olives, and toast.
Ricotta cheese
Ricotta cheese is white,It is lumpy or granular, with creamy texture and sweet taste. Ricotta cheese is made from goat's milk and is popular in Italian desserts. Italians often make ricotta cheese into a smooth texture and mix it with cocoa, cinnamon or sugar. Ricotta cheese is also the main ingredient in creamy pancakes and Easter ricotta tarts.
Of course, not all ricotta cheese is DOP. Ricotta cheese with the DOP label must use goat's milk from the Massese, Sarda, Sopravvissana and Comisana varieties, and must be exclusively raised in the Lazio region.
Bruce cheese
Bruce cheese is a fermented goat's milk cheese unique to Liguria and Piedmont. Because it contains grappa, it is creamy and has an aroma.
Because of the production process, this Bruce cheese is more like a dairy product. Housewives combine cheeses of different maturation levels into glass or earthenware containers to make cheese, and then add milk to ferment. Then put the cheese in the shade for 60 days, and then drizzle with grappa. Bruce cheese is often used as spread cheese.
Vermont cheese
This ancient cheese is still very popular today. It originated in Soria sur Rubicone in Emilia-Romagna region promise. Vermont cheese is a mixture of milk and goat's milk. Cheese needs to be matured for 3 months to 100 days in an airtight stone pit lined with straw.
Vermont cheese can be eaten alone,It can also be eaten with Italian dumplings, pimple noodles, and thinly sliced beef, or as a dessert with honey.
Montaccio cheese
Montaccio cheese is made with unpasteurized milk from cows in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia of. Montaccio cheese has a mild fruity, nutty and grassy flavour and is the main ingredient in the traditional Friuli cuisine.
Montacio cheese is DOP cheese, its history can be traced back to the 13th century, when the Benedictine monks invented it. Tassio cheese can be paired with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or Merlot wines.
Caprino cheese
The name of this creamy goat soft cheese (Caprino) comes from the Italian word “capra (goat)”. There are two main forms of caprino cheese, fresh caprino cheese or flavored caprino cheese. Italian Caprino cheese manufacturers use traditional methods to make cheese, such as manual scooping of curd, and only use unpasteurized, unprocessed goat milk.
The matured Caprino cheese is soft and creamy with a lemon flavor, while the firm Caprino cheese has a nutty flavor. The matured Caprino cheese tastes better than the fresh cheese. People usually eat Caprino cheese four days after it is made. It pairs perfectly with Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc wines, giving them creaminess.
Parmesan Regano cheese
This hard cheese is made from raw milk.Has a nutty taste. The maturation time usually takes 2-3 years. The longer the maturation time of Parmesan Regano cheese, the drier and crisper the texture. There is a law in Italy that only cheeses produced in Reggio, Modena, Southern Mantua and Parma can be called Parmesan Regano cheese.
Many professional chefs all over the world use this handmade cheese. Parmesan Regano cheese can be used in many recipes. It can be paired with fruit, wine, biscuits, or sprinkled on soup, pasta, and rice. This cheese also has DOP certification.
Pecorino cheese
This ancient cheese represents the past of Italian cheese. The name of Pecorino cheese (Pecorino) comes from the word "sheep" in Italian. Pecorino cheese can be traced back to the Roman era in 2000. It has a unique salty taste and a strong flavor. It is most commonly used in savory pasta sauces, such as cheese pepper pasta, tomato bacon pasta, bacon egg sauce pasta, etc. It can also be paired with rich broad beans and red wine.
Pecorino cheese production methods are different in different regions. Sometimes the taste is sweeter, sometimes it is spicy, and there are also spicy, salty and sour tastes. The common Pecorino Romano cheese comes from Sardinia, Tuscany and Lazio. Pecorino Romano cheese is a DOP certified cheese.
Strachino cheese and Squarkrone cheese
These two cheeses belong to the same type of cheese. Cheese manufacturers use soft milk from the Emilia-Romagna region to make this cheese. This cheese has no rind and is rich in butter.Has a slightly sour taste.
Stracino cheese and squarkrone cheese do not mature for a long time, so they are soft and easy to spread. It has a wide range of uses and is usually square in shape.
Straccino cheese can also be made from buffalo milk. It goes well with prosciutto and arugula salad. Italians also use it in risottos, crepes and pizzas. Romagna cheese is a DOP certified cheese, and it is delicious with cold cuts and fresh pasta.
Feoloshado cheese
Feoloshado cheese uses only the milk raised in Saada and needs to be dried near the brazier for about 2 weeks. During the production process, the skin of the cheese must be washed regularly with a solution of olive oil, salt and wine vinegar, and the wheels must be turned frequently.
Fiorosa cheese is also called Pecorino Saldo cheese, which is a cheese designated by DOP. The internal texture of the cheese is hard and granular, with salty and caramel sweetness, and a subtle fruity taste. Fresh cheese can be cut into small pieces or thin slices, while mature cheese can be grated and placed on pasta or polenta. There is a traditional Sardinian dish called "Pane Frattau" that uses Fiorosato cheese.
Cassizolo cheese
Cassizolo cheese is a cheese made from stretched milk curd. This is an ancient cheese produced in the Montefro region of Sardinia. In the past, women processed fresh milk, then stretched the milk curd in hot water to make this cheese.
After the cheese has matured for 2 to 3 months,It will release the grassy cheese flavor, exuding the breath of almonds and humid forest. Casizolo cheese is only made from late autumn to early summer after the lactation period of cows that provide milk.
Usually, people will eat this cheese alone or in soup. Casizolo cheese pairs well with fruity white wines.
Acaciato cheese
This semi-hard sweet cheese comes from the Campania region of Italy. The Casa Madaio farm in Cilento, Campania is the only place where Acaciato cheese is made. It is made from cow and buffalo milk. The two types of milk are coagulated, dried, and then matured for 40 to 60 days.
Accasciato cheese means "folded" in Italian. Its outer skin is yellow, and the inside is an opaque white paste. Acaciato cheese can be eaten with Italian wine.
Durello cheese
Durello cheese originated from Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa. Durello cheese is a semi-hard full-fat cheese made from raw milk. It can be matured in a cave with high humidity. The humid environment accelerates the fermentation of the cheese. Durello cheese was certified by DOP in September 2014.
Durello cheese is a stretchable, mushy, light yellow cheese with many holes distributed on the cheese. It goes well with beer, red wine, tomatoes, and whole wheat bread.
Bra cheese
Bra cheese is a hard cheese produced by cheese manufacturers in Piedmont, Italy.It comes from a small town called Bra in Cuneo, Piedmont. Although this cheese is also made in other regions, only the Bra cheese made here is considered authentic. Bra cheese is a cheese approved by DOP.
Depending on the seasoning time, the saltiness and smell of Bra cheese will vary. Because it is a bit greasy, it can be eaten with acidic foods or fruits, such as grapes, grapefruit, blueberries, and black currants. Many people may simply pair it with a slice of bread.
Ragusan cheese
This is a stretched curd cheese produced in Sicily. Ragusano cheese is made from unpasteurized milk, and it is shaped like a brick. After the curd is chopped and heated, it is made into a spherical shape, and then a parallelepiped is made using a mold. Then let it hang and mature for a few months, until the outer skin turns golden. The matured Ragusano cheese smells like orange blossoms and Mediterranean shrubs.
Ragusan cheese was approved by DOP in 1996. It has a spicy, sweet and salty taste, and can be paired with dark, aged beer and mellow red wine.
Ricotta Salata cheese
This sheep cheese comes from Sicily. It is white in color, has a firm texture, is skinless, and has a salty taste. "Ricotta" means "re-cooked" and "Salata" means "marinated". It is made with whey from goat milk used to make Romano cheese and needs to be matured for at least 90 days after completion. People often sprinkle this cheese in salads.
Ricotta salata cheese goes well with white wines such as Chardonnay, Gallura, Gallura-Vermontino and Nalaigas.
Grana Padano cheese
Grana Padano cheese comes from the Po River Valley and is a member of the Parma cheese family. This is the DOP cheese created by the Cistercian friars of Chiaravale in the 12th century. This cheese is made with unpasteurized milk and the maturation time is usually about 2 years. It can also be sold before then, such as 15-18 months, 9-16 months, and 16 or 20 months or more.
"Grana" means "grainy" in Italian and accurately describes the texture of this cheese. With the passage of time, its taste becomes more complex, the salty taste becomes stronger, and the texture becomes fragile. This cheese pairs well with Garvey white wine, Barolo or Zinfandel red wine.
Scamozza cheese
Scamozza cheese can be bought from Campania, Molise and Puglia. It is a chewy, silky semi-soft white cheese. Scamozah cheese is made from sheep and milk, and is usually made into a pear shape like Polovro cheese. In the final stage of the cheese making process, the Scamozah cheese is hung and matured for about 2 weeks.
After curing for 2 weeks, it can be sold as is or after being smoked. These cheeses have a smoky and caramel flavor, and they melt well. People will use it on a baking sheet or prosciutto. It pairs well with Pinot Gris, Chardonnay or Orvieto white wines.
Piave cheese
Piave cheese comes from Veneto, Italy,Made from pasteurized milk. This is a hard cheese with a high density and a flaky texture. Piave cheese is sweet and can be paired with rich red wine.
Piave cheese is white at first, but will gradually become the color of straw. Piave cheese is also protected by DOP.
Toma Bruska cheese
Toma Bruska is an ancient and rare semi-hard cheese that originated in Piedmont and looks similar to Cass Temano cheese. Toma Brusca cheese has a mild taste of butter and lactic acid, with a little sweetness.
Toma Bruska cheese is made with rennet, whole milk, milk and salt enzymes. It is then placed on a shelf made of silver fir and aged in an underground wine cellar for about 60 days or more. Toma Brusca cheese goes well with chestnut honey, quince chutney, red wine, polenta, rye bread and mustard grapes.
These are some common cheeses in Italy. Today our inventory ends here. If you like cheese, you can try a few more~
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