Imagine the smooth velvety taste of ricotta baked into hearty lasagna or the sumptuous flavor of parmesan grated over sauteed asparagus spears. Is your mouth watering yet? In Italy, cheese is fundamental to many fantastic recipes. This food is part of practically every meal—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let’s explore 10 of Italy’s famous cheeses.
1. Asiago
This soft mild-tasing cheese has a springy texture when it is first made. Over time, asiago hardens just like parmesan and the flavor becomes more intense. This cow’s milk cheese originates in the alpine and valley pastures of the Asiago Plateau and Trentino highlands. This cheese is an excellent choice for sandwiches, salads, and pastas and makes a great snack between meals.
2. Burrata
Burrata is also a soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s white with an edible skin on the outside and a creamy curd-like inside. Reminiscent of fresh cream or butter, this cheese comes from Italy’s Campania region where it was invented in the 1950s to reduce food waste. Try this cheese on salad or bruschetta to experience its best qualities.
3. Gorgonzola
There are two kinds of gorgonzola. One is mellow and sweet while the other has been aged for more than a year for a stronger taste. The small town of Gorgonzola is where the milk that goes into these cheeses comes from. Wheels of gorgonzola are injected with mold to create blue or green streaks for a unique marbled look. When it’s first made, the cheese is rich and velvety, while aging makes it hard and crumbly. Serve it with fruit as a dessert or on a main course of pasta.
4. Taleggio
Don’t be put off by the overpowering aroma of taleggio cheese. It’s somewhat tart, beefy, nutty, and salty. However, another challenge with this cheese is that it is extremely gooey and therefore messy to eat. Taleggio is preserved in brine that produces an orange-colored rind which is eaten along with the soft interior. It’s excellent on top of crusty bread or with polenta, an Italian cornmeal dish.
5. Provolone
This cheese takes mozzarella, coats it in brine and oil, and wraps it up with rope in a log or balloon shape so it can be hung to dry out. After some time goes by, the result is a hard, salty, and somewhat oily cheese. The simple flavor of provolone goes well with a range of recipes, including egg omelets, roast pork, meatballs, and deli meat. Its sharp taste means this cheese can also be eaten as a snack with olives or other savory fare.
6. Pecorino
Sheep’s milk is used to make pecorino cheese. It has that distinctive tang and tastes of toasted walnuts. It is popular in Tuscany, where it’s called pecorino toscano, and well-loved throughout Italy. Different varieties are found in each region, where it goes by names like pecorino romano and pecorino sardo. This cheese is typically served with prosciutto or eaten with olives, the perfect accompaniment to a lunchtime salad.
7. Mozzarella
Mozzarella is probably the cheese most people associate with Italy. It is found in many recipes, baked into lasagna or oozing over pizza. Traditionally, this cheese has been made from buffalo milk, although cow’s milk is frequently used today. It is spun by hand and easily pulls apart. Mozzarella is light and creamy with a slightly chewy texture and a mild sweet flavor.
8. Ricotta
This Italian cheese can be made from the milk of buffalo, cows, or sheep. It is a popular, rich, creamy cheese that crumbles easily. The versatility of ricotta makes it a fitting ingredient for both savory and sweet dishes. You’ll find it mixed with cocoa and sugar to create a filling for baked desserts. It also appears as a salad topping or to give additional substance and taste to main courses.
9. Mascarpone
Cream from cow’s milk is the foundation of this product. Mascarpone originates in Lombardy and is another well-known Italian cheese. Its soft creamy nature means it makes an excellent spread for crackers or bread. It is often an ingredient in sweet Italian dessert recipes like tiramisu.
10. Stracciatella
Stracciatella is basically a mixture of cream and mozzarella curds or shredded mozzarella. The rich result is used in many ways. You’ll find it in Italian burrata recipes, as a spread for toast or crackers, or as a topping for pasta or pizza.
In Closing
From pleasantly creamy consistencies to interesting sharp tastes, there are enough Italian cheeses you will certainly find a new favorites on this list. Whether you sample some of them on a cheese board or opt for one melted over fresh pasta, the joy is in the discovery.