Gobble Up

Americans have sprung a desire for quality cheeses. If you are only familiar with a few cheeses from Italy, you will be in for a surprise to learn that Italy has almost five hundred types of cheeses. Each region has its own specialties. Artisanal cheese makers also bring that extra love to the task that adds extra flavor to your palate. Many of these cheeses will carry a DOP label given by the Italian government that defines a geographic area where an Italian cheese can be produced. On line and specialty retail stores have begun to add to their Italian cheese repertoire so you will benefit if you buy Italian cheese on offer today to treat your taste buds to the growing array of the delicious cheeses of Italy.

Cheese making has a regional flavor

The Piedmont area is renowned for its broad offerings. They can be more limitedly available or those more commonly sold. Fontina with old roots falls in the latter category.

The northern region of Trentino Alto-Adige has cheeses demonstrating an Austrian influence. The slightly sharp and peppery Vezzena which has a hard granular texture, the mild and delicate Dobbiaco, the fragrant and delicate Grana Padano from Val di Non, the Puzzone di Moena with its intense aromatic perfume are amongst those hailing from this region. From the northeast Val Brembana in Lombardy near the Swiss border is the warm buttery tasting Mandriano di Zambla that is available in the United States and approximates to a cheese not available yet, the Formai de Mut produced in limited amounts that has a delicate aromatic herbal flavor reflecting the cows diet on the alpine pastures.

The southern regions favor sheep and buffalo milk cheeses such as Mozzarella, the stringy Caciocavallo Silano, ricottas of varying age. In Basilicata and Calabria the goat and sheep milk produce pecorino which is the term for cheeses made from the milk of sheep generally, and other cheeses like the rare and costly Caciocavallo Podolico made from cows milk that comes from cows only from this region.

You can match wines with cheese to enhance the flavor

Friuli has handmade by farmers local unpasteurized specialty cow milk the latteria cheeses made in copper lined vats twice a day daily, the Carnica smoked ricotta and the Montasio that tastes like an Asiago or Swiss cheese when sold young with age lending flavor.

Cirilli also suggests that people should not limit themselves to red wines with cheese, even when the cheese is strong like the Parmigiano Reggiano which he recommends trying with a vintage spumante, which has the complex flavor that blends well with the potent cheese. The Mandriano di Zambla recently available has also reported to be a good match for both reds and whites. To take trip down flavor lane will be quite an adventure if tastings progress from light to more robust cheeses and their wine accompaniments which can start when you buy Italian cheeses.

Want to find out more about buy Italian cheese, then visit Luigi DeMarco\’s site on how to choose the best imported cheese for your needs.