Since the very start, one of the guiding principles at Piacci has been simplicity. We focus on producing only a handful of authentic Italian cheeses, but there’s a whole world of Italian cheese just waiting to be explored.
While we don’t produce every one of these types, we do hope the list provides a little more insight into the available varieties of authentic Italian cheese.
Made from cow’s milk and named after the region in Italy where it was first created, asiago is a sweet curd, semi-cooked cheese. There are two types of asiago – fresh and mature. Whole milk is matured for about 40 days to make fresh asiago (pressato), which results in a mild, semi-sweet flavor and an off-white color. Partially skimmed milk is used to make mature asiago (asiago d´allevo) which has a sharper taste and is yellowish in color. Mature asiago ages for three to twelve months depending on the preferred flavor and texture.
Made from cow’s milk, Bel Paese originated in Melzo, a small village near Milan in the Lombardy region of Italy in 1906 by the Galbani family who wanted to compete with soft French cheeses. It’s named after the title of a book written by Antonio Stoppani, which means “Beautiful Country.” Aged six to eight weeks, its color is a pale, creamy yellow; its flavor is mild and buttery. Made in small wheels, it’s often used as a substitute for mozzarella.
A ball of mozzarella filled with scraps of mozzarella and fresh cream, and wrapped in asphodel leaves, which indicate its freshness. It has a rich, buttery flavor. With a very short shelf life, it’s flown to specialty cheese shops in the US from Puglia, Italy.
Produced in many regions of Italy, caciotta can be made from a wide variety of milk – cow, sheep, goat or water buffalo. Quite heavy, it’s sold in cylinders and is aged for only a brief period. A soft, yellow rind surrounds a white or yellowish body, which is soft in texture and mild in flavor.
Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, fontina originated in the Aosta Valley in Italy. Extremely aromatic and somewhat creamy with a pale yellow interior, it has a mild flavor and a nutty taste with a hint of honey. Fontina is typically aged for 30 days. However, the length of the aging process can affect the texture (semi-soft to firm) and the flavor (mild to sharp). And take note – an orange brown rind color indicates a true fontina.
Gorgonzola is a stracchino-type blue cheese made from unskimmed cow’s or goat’s milk. While its town of origin is in dispute, today it’s produced in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Italy. It’s made in two varieties: "Mountain Gorgonzola" which is firmer in texture and sharper in taste, and "Dolce Gorgonzola," which is spreadable and milder, almost buttery, in flavor. The length of the aging process determines its consistency, getting firmer as it ripens.
Prepared in a fashion similar to ricotta, mascarpone is an Italian cheese made from milk that has been altered with cream. What results is an incredibly rich, smooth and slightly sweet fresh cheese. Its creamy texture ranges from very soft to slightly firm; its versatility allows it to mix well with other flavors, making it the perfect cheese for a wide variety of dishes, including desserts.
A soft cheese, fresh mozzarella is often made from cow’s milk. Like low-moisture mozzarella, it’s also a pasta filata cheese with a delicate, milky flavor. It’s made by cutting and heating the curds, which are then kneaded and pulled to develop the finished product. But unlike low-moisture mozzarella, fresh mozzarella is not aged or cured in brine. Due to its high moisture content, it’s typically served the day it’s made.
Low-Moisture Mozzarella Back to top
Like fresh mozzarella, low-moisture mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese, with a delicate, milky flavor. It’s made by adding milk to starter whey, which is left to ripen. Rennet is added to the coagulated milk, which results in curds that are left to sit and “heal.” The curds are then cut and heated. Finally, the curd mass is kneaded and pulled to develop the familiar stretchy strings, then shaped into the desired form. Because of its low moisture content, this type has a longer shelf life.
A hard cheese, parmesan is cooked, but not pressed. Often described as the "King of Cheeses," it offers a buttery, sweet, nutty flavor that intensifies with age. Its granular texture is created by its lengthy aging process, usually at least 10 months, sometimes up to three years.
A semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk, provolone is a member of the pasta filata (spun cheese) group, originating from southern Italy. More cultures are used to make provolone than mozzarella, providing a richer, fuller flavor. Made in unusual shapes like that of a watermelon, bottle, pear and cone, its flavor ranges from the mildness of "Provolone Dolce" (aged 2-3 months) to the sharpness of "Provolone Piccante" (aged more than four months).
Ricotta is technically not a cheese, but a by-product of cheese production. It’s made from whey, drained from cheeses like mozzarella and provolone. What results is a fresh, soft, snowy white cheese with a rich, but mild, slightly sweet flavor. It’s believed to have been created in the Roman countryside by travelers who cooked their food over large kettles. Like mascarpone, it’s often used in desserts, such as cheesecakes and cannoli.
Even more assertive than parmesan, romano is a granular, hard cheese with a sharp flavor. It’s made by a special method called “rummaging curd” which involves draining the curd quickly after molding. The surface is then slightly pierced before salting. Romano is typically aged for about five months.
Made from cow’s milk, stracchino has a soft, creamy texture and a mild, delicate texture, not unlike American cream cheese, only more acidic. Typical to the Italian region of Lombardy, the name is derived from the Italian word “stracca,” which means “tired.” It’s said that the milk from tired cows is rich in fats and more acidic. Legend has it that these qualities were discovered in the milk of tired cows that were moved up and down the Alps between different pastures.