Asiago cheese is a speciality of the region, made from the aromatic milk of the eponymous cows that have grazed freely on the Asiago plateau for thousands of years. The cheese, which is rich in proteins and enzymes but not too fatty, has a great taste and texture and was awarded the DOC in 1978, … Read more
Mozzarella first appeared in the 12th century or so, in the province of Campania, near the city of Naples. Legend has it that it was invented by chance, when a cheese factory accidentally dropped curdled milk into a bucket of boiling water. It is not known whether this is the romantic version or the real … Read more
Mozzarella di bufala also originates from the province of Campania. Within that region it is mainly produced in the provinces of Caserta and Salerno. Written evidence of the commercial use of buffalo milk dates back as far as the 14th century. The public had to wait until 1570 for the name ‘mozzarella’, when chef Bartolomeo … Read more
The dominant cheese of southern Italy is very popular in many places. Mozzarella is often eaten with salads, pasta, pizza or sandwiches, as the fresh cheese with its relatively neutral taste and pleasant texture easily adapts to almost any dish. History of the Mozzarella The origins of mozzarella are lost in the mists of time. … Read more
Parmigiano-Reggiano: the king of Italian cheeses, a member of the cheese trinity. If you ask anyone what comes to mind when they think of Italy, one of the first five things they think of is Parmesan. I recently received a souvenir from Italy: a 40(!) month old piece of genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s over three years … Read more
There are around 450 protected Italian cheeses, from which we have picked six. First up are Gorgonzola, Parmigiano and Mascarpone, followed by Mozzarella, Pecorino and Ricotta. Gorgonzola We are in the north of Italy, in Piedmont and Lombardy (Milan and Turin are their capitals). Gorgonzola has been made for thousands of years, originally from the … Read more