Guide to Italian Cheese

Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, even Mascarpone are all Italian cheeses with Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano being the granddaddies and the most well known of the Italian cheeses, but you do not have to stop there. From soft to firm there is a cheese to suit everyone and with over four hundred cheeses to choose from (www.wikipedia.com) it can be daunting. Your local cheese shop (if you are lucky to have one in your city) or internet stores such as www.formatobrothers.com can help open your cheese world to new ideas.

Cheeses in Italy can be made from cow, goat, sheep or even buffalo milk and are cured in many different ways, from natural curing without brining or brined, hung and air dried. Because of the different handling, the same type of milk can end up in several different forms (Source: www.lifeinitaly.com/food/cheese.asp). This article offers eight tasty choices that can be enjoyed with a glass of wine, fruit or even by themselves. These cheeses are just a brief introduction and range from mild to sharp.

Asiago: A cow's milk cheese that has been aged a year. Because of this aging it gives it a distinct sharpness as well as firmness, thus it can be grated, or chunked and enjoyed on its own.

Bel Paese: This semi-soft cheese is often compared to Mozzarella in both texture and taste. But there is a difference, this cheese has more body and tang. It is also a good melting cheese.

Brinata: Its name means "early morning frost" in Italian. This cheese is reminds one of a good quality Brie cheese. Along with its edible rind, the cheese itself is moister and has a more pronounced tang to the taste buds. It can be handled just like a Brie cheese.

Crescenza (also known as Stracchino): This cow's milk cheese is similar to gorgonzola (sans the blue veins) in both taste and texture. However, when the cheese is brought to room temperature, this becomes extremely spreadable for vegetables, bread or crackers.

Crotonese: This sheep's milk cheese is both sweet and tangy at the same time. It is formed in wooden molds, giving it a unique shape. The mold that goes on the surface, preserves the cheese and only needs to be scraped off. This mold is produced by the natural oils found within the sheep's milk.

Gruviera: This cow's milk cheese it Italy's version of Swiss cheese in both taste, texture and appearance. Can be used interchangeably with Swiss.

Scamorza: This is a cow's milk cheese that is similar to Mozzarella although it is pear shaped and aged a few days. It can be smoked or plain. It is good with pasta, either cubed or shredded.

Taleggio: This semi-soft cow's milk cheese can range from mild to pungent depending on the length of time it is aged. It is a good cheese to serve with fruit at the end of a meal.