Enclosed below is a selection of the most famous Italian FORMAGGI…
Asiago
The Asiago is produced in the provinces of Trento and Vicenza, Its name corresponds to its place of origin, namely the upland of Asiago.
The Asiago cheese is made or raw and semi-skimmed milk, it undergoes a particularly accurate maturing ranging from three months for the “medium” type, to more than a year for the “mature” type. This treatment gives to the Asiago cheese a slightly spicy taste.
In the kitchen, the Asiago P.D.O. can be used to prepare different recipes, like soups, pastas, salted cake and different kinds of second courses.
Caciotta Toscana
Caciotta is from the region of Tuscany, rural cheeses. It is made cow's or sheep's milk. It is soft and mild.
Crescenza
White square or rectangle fresh cheese made from cow's milk. This cheese belongs to Stracchino-style cheeses, but varies from the rest by its fat content. Smooth and moist, it has a fresh, clean acidity.
Fontina
The “Fontina” cheese comes from the Aosta Valley, situated in the heart of the Alps. Fontina is produced by using the milk of the local bovines, the “pezzata nera” and the “pezzata rossa” (name of the local bovine breed). The maturing of Fontina cheese lasts on average for three months, and usually takes place in natural environments, such as rock caves, underground passages or abandoned mines.
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is a creamy cheese, originally from Lombardy. It is made with the cream of very fresh milk from cows that have been fed on fresh or naturally dried fodder, so the aroma of the flowers and herbs is preserved.
Mozzarella di Bufala
Mozzarella di Bufala has a springy texture and a pleasantly sourish taste with a faint mossy smell. It is a fresh, drawn-curd cheese made from whole buffalo's milk.
Grana Padano
The “Grana Padano” is produced in the whole Po Valley, as far as Trento and is one of the most famous and appreciated cheeses in Italy. It is a medium fat cheese, made of hard paste, white or straw-coloured. It has a fragrant aroma, its flavour is firm and delicate at the same time, but never spicy. The Grana Padano is mainly used as a grated cheese, it is excellent consumed in slivers for a meal or along with raw meats and salads. It can also be served in small chunks with a few drops of “Modena” Balsamic Vinegar and some olives and capers.
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is a traditional, creamery blue cheese. The greenish-blue penicillin mould imparts a sharp, spicy flavour and provides an excellent contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. Gorgonzola is made in the northern Italian village, according to which the cheese has its name, Its colour ranges from white to straw-yellow with an unmistakable marbled green or bluish-green mould. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age. Gorgonzola is also excellent in salads and dips.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of cheeses from eight centuries, proof of the great dairy tradition of the “Po Valley”, in the north-east of Italy.
The Parmigiano Reggiano has gone trough the centuries by keeping intact its usual recognition. The Parmigiano Reggiano is produced in the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma and in some part of Bologna and Mantova. It keeps the same features from 8 centuries: same appearance, same fragrance and the same craft methods of production. It is a medium fat cheese, made of hard paste, baked and with slow maturing; it has a unique taste, delicate, fragrant and tasty, but with no spicy hints.
Pecorino Romano
It is produced in the regions of Lazio. Its paste is dense and granular and its colour varies from white to pale yellow. It has a fragrant taste and it is a little spicy at the beginning of maturing, whilst it gets spicier at the late maturing. The Pecorino Romano is used in the kitchen either as a dressing for some first courses like the “cheese and pepper” pasta or the “bucatini amatriciana”, or as an ingredient to prepare soups, however it is excellent also as a table cheese, in the different stages of maturing.
Provolone
Provolone is a natural, pasta filata (stretched curd) cheese made from whole-pasteurized cow's milk and aged 6 to 12 months. The cheese, once kneaded, is made into shapes, which can vary greatly both in size and in shape. Spicy provolone has a strong, spicy flavour. It is made with kid's and lamb's rennet, aged up to one year, and the longer it is aged the more pungent it becomes.
Ricotta
Traditional, creamery, whey cheese made from cow's milk. It is a basin-shaped cheese, pure white and wet but not sticky. It is white, creamy and mild.
Scamorza
Traditional, creamery, stretched, curd cheese made from cow's milk. It is smooth and shiny. This cheese resembles Provolone. It is rubbery, with a stringy texture and is drier than mozzarella. The smoked version, Scamorza Affumicata is more popular than the plain and is often used in pasta dishes. It is also served with ham, mushrooms or vegetables.
Taleggio
Buttery, delicate, semi-soft and subtlety sweet cheese from Italy made from cow's milk. The cheese has a special taste and aroma. Taleggio is an excellent dessert cheese that goes very well with a robust wine.
Ubriaco
