Italy is the cradle of a boundless variety of cheeses : it seems that there are over 480 types. Each region boasts its typical products , which differ not only in the different processing methods, but also in the type of milk used, which can be cow, buffalo, goat or sheep milk. If you are traveling by car in Italy, it is not necessary to buy cheese in supermarkets, but you can buy it and try it from the people who make it. Ready to embark on the journey to discover the best Italian cheeses ?
Asiago
The consistency of this DOP cow’s milk cheese from Trentino and Veneto varies according to the maturing time. At the beginning it is fresh, with a soft and delicate taste, to become crumbly and with stronger notes once it is completely seasoned.
Friable Asiago is often grated into a variety of dishes such as salads, soups, pastas, and gravies, while the fresh variety is served on sandwiches and crackers.
Веl Раеsе
It is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy. Its conception dates back to 1906, when Egidio Galbani wanted to create a product capable of competing with the types of French Alpine cheeses . The name derives from a book by Abbot Antonio Stoppani “Il Bel Paese”, published in 1873.
It has a creamy, pale straw yellow color and a slightly buttery flavor that vaguely resembles mozzarella . It takes 6 to 8 weeks to mature and is available in different formats. The original has a map of Italy on the label.
Bitto
Behind the creation of Bitto there are about a thousand years of history. This cow’s milk cheese is born on the mountain pastures, the result of a favorable combination of humidity, temperature and craftsmanship. The production area of Bitto DOP includes the province of Sondrio and the municipalities of the upper Val Brembana. That of the traditional Bitto is a delimited area of the Orobic Pre-Alps, including the provinces of Sondrio, Bergamo and Lecco.
It is produced in the summer months and leaves the fragrance of flowers and alpine grass on the palate. In the mouth it dissolves immediately leaving hints of dried fruit, butter, hay and dried flowers.
Burrata
A close relative of mozzarella , Burrata is a semi-fat cow’s milk cheese typical of Campania and Puglia. The outside is soft and is wrapped around a creamy core, offering a contrast of sensations and a unique buttery texture. Once cut, the creamy inside slowly comes out.
Soft and fresh, burrata is delicious on bruschetta or as a finishing touch to a salad.
Apulian Canestrato
Canestrato Pugliese DOP is, in the cheese classification , a hard product made with sheep’s milk. Its production was linked to the practice of transhumance, in the period between December and May when the flocks were transferred from Abruzzo to Puglia.
During the maturation, the cheese is placed in a traditional basket, from which it takes its name. The paste is straw-yellow in colour, compact, crumbly, subtly rich and not too elastic. The taste is characteristic and pronounced, with a fragrant aroma in the more mature forms. The fresh product is more delicate and slightly less salty.
Casizolu
Based on native Sardinian cow’s milk, it is produced in the Montiferru area, near Oristano. It is an ancient cheese, unusual for Sardinia, renowned for the production of sheep cheeses. It has a very particular rounded pear shape which is obtained when the curd is mixed in hot water.
It has an intense variety of milky, herbaceous and almond aromas due to the use of vegetable rennet in its production. With aging it becomes spicier and the herbaceous aromas become more distinct. The crust of Casizolu is thin and smooth with a yellowish colour. The paste is yellow and fibrous.
Fontina
Among the Italian PDO cheeses, this semi-hard cow’s milk delicacy stands out. Originally from the Aosta Valley, Fontina is made in wheels of 33 – 38 cm in diameter, with a thickness of approximately 8 – 10 cm. It has a hard beige natural rind and a pale gold interior with a few small holes.
The goodness of this cheese is largely linked to milk. The cattle raised at high altitudes in the Aosta Valley mountains graze during the summer months on lush alpine meadows, rich in aromatic herbs. This in turn makes their milk tastier and higher in fat, resulting in one of the best lattes any cheesemaker could ask for.
Gorgonzola
Made with whole cow’s milk, Gorgonzola has a centuries-old history, and is still produced with the same ingredients of its origins. It is a DOP cheese originally from the province of Milan, which is flanked by the historical production areas of the provinces of Como, Pavia and Novara.
There are two types: the sweet one has a more delicate taste, while the spicy one has a more decisive taste. Its unmistakable flavor comes from the bacteria added during the aging process, as well as the perfect cold and humidity conditions that accelerate the aging process.
Grana Padano
Grana Padano DOP is a hard cheese made from cow’s milk which at first glance can be mistaken for Parmigiano Reggiano . However, it only needs to age for a minimum of 9 months, resulting in a milder and softer cheese than Parmesan.
It is produced all year round and the quality can vary according to the production season. Unlike Parmesan, the milder Grana Padano is made entirely from skim milk. Due to its simpler production rules, it is also cheaper than Parmesan.
Mаntеcа о Burrіnо
This soft and creamy cheese is produced by a Casa Madaio dairy in Cilento, Campania. The curd of a cow’s milk is filled with a butter to preserve it in any season, especially in hot summers. The external part is thick and yellow in color while the internal paste is fibrous, smooth, creamy and straw yellow. It has a floral bouquet with hints of ripe fruit and lilies.
Mascarpone
With its particularly rich flavor and creamy texture, mascarpone is one of the key ingredients in tiramisu.
Milky white in colour, it is a Lombard cheese produced by processing only two ingredients: cream and citric acid. This explains its whipped texture and mild flavor. It is used in both savory and sweet dishes, or even just served with strawberries for a sweet summer dish.
Montasio
Montasio is a DOP cheese originally from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. Its production and maturing must comply with strict procedures which have been established and controlled by its Consortium.
It is a creamy and unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese. It has a maturation of about 4-6 months and has an inedible rind. It is straw yellow in color with a soft flavour.
Morlacco
Produced in the area of the Grappa massif, in various municipalities in the provinces of Vicenza, Belluno and Treviso and Vicenza, it is also protected by a Slow Food presidium. It is a low fat soft cheese.
It is made with a mixture of skimmed and whole cow’s milk. It is ready for consumption after about twenty days, but can be matured for three months.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella competes with Parmigiano Reggiano for first place on the podium of the best known Italian cheeses in the world. Until 1996, the only one that could be called by this name was the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (a DOP product), but today mozzarella is also produced throughout Italy with cow’s milk, which is also less expensive.
The original is creamier and lighter than the cow’s milk variants, so if you really want to treat your guests well (or pamper yourself), go for the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Dop .
Parmesan
Parmigiano Reggiano , like wine, gets better with age. Only the best quality of this cheese obtains the DOP quality seal after maturing for at least twelve months. There are Parmesan cheeses that age up to 6 years! It is produced in Emilia Romagna in the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma, Bologna, as well as Mantua.
Crumbly and with an intense flavour, Parmesan can only be legally produced between April and November, with milk from grass-fed cows. It is made from the curds of a mixture of whole and skim milk and is pickled for approx. 25 days.
A wheel of this cheese has an average weight of about forty kilograms and about 550 liters of milk are needed to produce it.
Pecorino
It is a hard cheese made from sheep’s milk with and is characterized by flavors ranging from mild to salty, savory to spicy, or a combination of all, depending on how long it’s aged.
There are several regional variations, of which the most famous are Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Toscano, all DOP. Pecorino Marchigiano is also renowned .
It is typically aged for about eight months, but they can also be sold and served “fresh” or “semi-aged” for a softer texture and less strong flavour.
Provolone
Originally from Campania, Provolone is now produced in many Italian regions and is immediately recognized by its characteristic “pear” shape. It is a mature stretched curd cheese made from cow’s milk.
The sweet Provolone, with a pale white hue, is the youngest variety and is aged for about four months, while the spicy Provolone, characterized by an intense yellow colour, has a more decisive taste and can be aged for up to three years.
Рuzzоne di Mоеnа
In addition to Moena, a small town in Trentino Alto Adige, this DOP cheese is produced in many dairies in Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme and Valle di Primiero (in the province of Trento). It is a typical semi-hard mountain cheese, which owes its name to its characteristic penetrating smell, with wild and undergrowth notes.
It has a pungent, rich and decisive flavor and a rather bitter aftertaste. It is prepared in forms with a diameter of about 35 centimeters and an indicative weight of 10 kilograms.
Raviggiolo
Its full name is “Raviggiolo di latte del Mugello” and it is a fresh, soft cheese with an exclusive taste. It is prepared using the milk of cows grazing on the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines and its particular production method has been preserved over time. The first written testimony of Raviggiolo dates back to 1515, when the Magistrate of Bibbiena brought it as an offer to Pope Leo X.
It has a delicate, slightly acidic flavor and contains very little salt. It is normally wrapped in fern, fig or cabbage leaves and should be eaten within three days, natural or seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and pepper.
Ricotta
In reality it is not a cheese but, as established by current legislation, it is classified as a “dairy product”. Its production method involves using whey (rather than casein coagulation).
It has a creamy white appearance with a slightly sweet taste, although the exact consistency depends on the type of milk used (which can be sheep, goat, buffalo or cow’s milk). It is easily perishable, but there are aged varieties that last much longer.
Robiola
It is produced in different areas of Northern Italy , such as the Langhe, Valsassina and the Brescia area. With a characteristic soft texture and a soft and sweet taste, it can be produced with cow, goat or sheep’s milk, even combined with each other.
There is, for example, Robiola Bosina, made with sheep’s and cow’s milk, and Robiola Rocchetta, made with all three types of milk.
Squacquerone
White, soft, fluffy and spreadable, squacquerone is a typical Romagna cheese. It is produced all year round with whole pasteurized cow’s milk. Of an ivory white tone, it has a taste that tends towards acidity.
Easily perishable, it has a shelf life of only 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. It melts easily and is widely used to stuff piadina and as a filling for pasta and desserts.
Strассhinо
Produced from cow’s milk, it is a Lombard cheese originally from the Po Valley. It owes its name to the fact that it was made with the milk of “tired” cows from having carried out the transhumance from the summer pasture to the valley floor.
It has a soft and creamy texture and is easily spreadable. Its delicate and slightly sour flavor goes perfectly with honey and fruit mustards.
Taleggio
It takes its name from the production area, Val Taleggio in Lombardy. It is a DOP cow’s milk cheese which is characterized by its intense and penetrating aroma, while its flavor is unexpectedly delicate and fruity.
Known since Roman times, Taleggio is eaten fresh naturally and is a much appreciated ingredient in salads and rice. Excellent on polenta.
Vаstеddа dellа vаllе dеl Bеlicе
This spun curd Sicilian delicacy is made from sheep’s milk in the Belice Valley. The climate is influenced by lower temperatures than the rest of the region, with rainfall and Sirocco and Tramontana winds.
It is a DOP cheese with a fat content of no less than 35% and a characteristic aroma of fresh sheep’s milk while its taste is sweet, fresh and pleasant, with a slight acidic note.
Conclusions
Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mozzarella Fontina… Italian cheeses are famous and loved all over the world. It is therefore not surprising that many of these delicacies have been registered among the PDO products for their high quality, local production and traditional recipes. After all, some production sites still keep a centuries-old production tradition alive today.
In this guide we have examined the main Italian cheeses that should be part of the culinary repertoire of each of us.