Gorgonzola (cheese)

Gorgonzola is a veined Italian cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a "bite" from its blue veining.

History

Gorgonzola has been produced for centuries in Gorgonzola, Milan, acquiring its greenish-blue marbling in the eleventh century. However, the town's claim of geographical origin is disputed by other localities.

Production

Today, it is mainly produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. Whole cow's milk is used, to which starter bacteria is added, along with spores of the mold Penicillium glaucum. The whey is then removed during curdling, and the result aged at low temperatures.

During the aging process, metal rods are quickly inserted and removed, creating air channels that allow the mold spores to grow into hyphae and cause the cheese's characteristic veining. Gorgonzola is typically aged for three to four months. The length of the aging process determines the consistency of the cheese, which gets firmer as it ripens.

Varieties

There are two varieties of Gorgonzola, which differ mainly in their age: Gorgonzola Dolce, which is soft and less aged, and Gorgonzola Piccante, which is the matured or "piccante" version.

Serving

Gorgonzola can be consumed in many ways. It can be melted into a risotto in the final minutes of cooking, or served alongside polenta. It is frequently offered as a topping for pizza in Italy. Gorgonzola may also be used in a pasta sauce, combined with other ingredients such as cream and walnuts.

Nutritional Information

Gorgonzola cheese is rich in protein and calcium, and it is also a good source of vitamin B12.

See also

• Blue cheese
• Roquefort
• Stilton cheese