By Michelle Tchea
Michelle is a 5-time bestselling author on food and travel and the owner of Chefs Collective, an organization of high-profile chefs sharing food cultures from around the world.
Italians are known for many things, being esteemed craftsmen in car manufacturing, fashion design and of course, a leader in wine production. Another skill that comes undisputed is the country’s ability to produce exquisite cheese meant for every occasion. No Italian meal will be without their formaggio. The diversity of Italian cheese can be seen in a simple Italian meal from start to finish: chunky bits of cheese as an antipasto (appetizer), a cheesy carbonara as a main dish and a ricotta-based cheesecake for dessert - delizioso!
Cheese in Italy is a culture where meals are shared and traditions are passed down from one generation to another. The Romans claimed to have perfected cheese by first aging it to develop its flavors and as the Roman Empire expanded, the rest of Europe learned the fine art of cheese making - as told by many patriotic and proud Italians when asked about the origins of cheese.
With more than 450 varieties of cheese in Italy, the country definitely has a strong grasp and affection towards the dairy product. Italians love their cheese so much that more than 300 Italian cheeses have a legal protection of origin, Denominazione di Origine Protetta and are given a PDO (protected designation of origin). Essentially, this means that particular cheeses can only be called that name if it is made in the region of origin - this makes Italian cheese truly authentic and you do not have to second guess whether it is real or not.
Traveling from North to South Italy, there are hundreds of cheeses to be discovered which are distinguished by region. Here is a small spread of Italian cheeses across the country taking you from Lombady to Sicily. Leslie of La Dolce Vigna has included an Italian wine pairing to accompany each cheese. Buon Appetito!
Gorgonzola. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Gorgonzola
Origin: Lombardy and Piedmont
Type of Milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: For Gorgonzola dolce: Barbera d’Asti or Barbaresco from Piemonte. For gorgonzola piccante: A Dry Malvasia from Puglia.
Gorgonzola is Italýs favorite blue cheese and hails from the Lombardy and Piedmont regions of Italy. Did you know that there are dolce (sweet) and piccante (spicy) varieties of gorgonzola? The softer and more mellow dolce gorgonzola is less intense than the piccante version. Young gorgonzola is creamy in texture and can be eaten with a spoon if you find a very ripe gorgonzola. As the cheese ages, it becomes harder and crumbly which can then be broken up and served as a topping to your favorite salad.
Mascarpone Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Mascarpone
Origin: Lombardy
Type of Milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: Zibibbo from sicily
An interesting tidbit to start your dinner party conversation: did you know that mascarpone is made with cream and back in the 15th-century when it was first made, allowed to ripen in wine barrels before being scooped out and enjoyed by the spoonful. History aside, mascarpone is essential for making one of Italý’s most popular desserts: Tiramisu. Buttery, soft and creamy, mascarpone whips up nicely and is a great ingredient for cheesecakes, stirred through risotto for extra creaminess and also dolloping on pizza. If you like chevre and cream cheese, you will love mascarpone.
Parmigiano-Reggiano. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Origin: Emilia-Romagna
Type of Milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: Lambrusco or Metodo Classico (Champagne method) Italian wine like alta langa, trentodoc or franciacorta.
The king of Italian cheeses is Parmigiano-reggiano, a flavourful, intense and strong hard cheese named after the two provinces which produce it, Parma and Reggio Emilia. The cheese is better known as parmesan to Americans (but this can mean that it is not a real parmigiano-reggiano so be careful if you are a stickler for authenticity!) and sprinkled over pastas but the hard cheese definitely deserves greater appreciation with it being aged for at least 12 months and produced under strict laws where conditions are strictly met (type of cattle and diet, aging time and season in which it is made are all controlled). What you end up with is a salty and almost nutty cheese that is great with pasta, risotto and of course, eaten in all its glory on its own with a nice bottle of Barbaresco.
Mozzarella Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Mozzarella
Origin: South and West of Naples
Type of Milk: Water buffalo or cow, depending
Wine Pairing: Bardolino chiaretto from the veneto or another light rosato from italy
A fresh cheese usually comes in a brine to allow the cheese to maintain its creamy, soft and mild flavor. There are two traditional mozzarella cheeses: burrata and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana with the latter one being made with water buffalo milk. Use mozzarella sliced and as a topping on your pizza or serve it simply in a caprese salad with fresh tomatoes, basil and lots of Italian olive oil.
Pecorino Toscano Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Pecorino Toscano
Origin: Tuscany
Type of Milk: Sheep
Wine Pairing: Chianti classico or other sangiovese-based wine from tuscany like vino nobile di montepulciano or morellino di scansano
Pecorino Toscano can be aged for a few months and over one year to produce a deliciously sharp and strong flavored sheep's milk. Some may say this cheese is a little oily because of the high-percentage butterfat but we would just call it delicious. In Tuscany, residents welcome spring with melted Pecorino drizzle generously with their olive oil and served over a bowl of fresh fava beans.
Piacentinu Ennese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Piacentinu ennese
Origin: Sicily
Type of Milk: Sheep
Wine Pairing: Cerasuolo di vittoria docg or a nero d’avola from sicily
A warm golden hue in color, piacentinu ennese is not a common cheese most Americans know of but it should be on your radar. Produced in the province of Enna in the Dittaino Valley, the cheese is pressed with black peppercorns and saffron. The flavor of the cheese can be mild and sweet to a stronger and more pungent flavor if aged longer. A great table cheese and can be grilled.
Lagrein Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Lagrein
Origin: South Tyrol
Type of milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: Lagrein from Alto Adige
A traditional cheese from South Tyrol, the cheese is cured with the local Lagrein wine. The cheese has a washed rind which when removed reveals a bubbly cheese. The aroma is garlicky and many describe it to be similar to eating a salami with a salty and meaty flavor. Aged for at least 5 days in a mixture of Lagrein wine, garlic, pepper and alpine herbs, this cheese is great served with cured meats and mustard.
Provolone Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Provolone
Origin: Basilicata, Southern Italy (main region of production)
Type of Milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: Primitivo from puglia, dolcetto from Piemonte
You can’t make an Italian sandwich without provolone. A great melting cheese, Italians love to toast them in sandwiches or serve it simply with honey, but the best way to enjoy provolone is fried in a simple bread crumb until golden and crunchy.
Montasio Cheese. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Montasio DOP
Origin: Friuli Venezia Giulia
Type of Milk: Cow
Wine Pairing: For a Younger Montasio, try a schioppettino. For a more aged montasio, try a refosco. Both from Friuli.
Named after a group of mountains between the Resia Valley and Canale del Ferro, this cheese is aromatic, fruit and gives off slightly grassy notes as an ode to the monks who first made it in the foothills of the Alps many centuries ago. Aged for a minimum of 60 days and up to 18 months, a good Montasio DOP can be intense and best enjoyed eaten as it is.
