Learning About Tasty Italian Cheeses
Italian cheeses are some of the best in the world. And while we’re all familiar with the top few selections, from our pizza and sandwich consumption, it may surprise you to know there are around 400 different Italian cheeses to choose from. And when it comes to quality and good tasting cheese, the Italians have a great passion for delivering on it, and they do.
From Tuscany to Sicily, the Italians roll out the parmigiano, the provolone, and the Mozzarella. And these are just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall outlay of Italian cheeses. They make their cheeses with goat, sheep, cow, or buffalo milk. Their cheeses are great for shredding and have a fragrance and texture all their own.
The quality of their cheese is taken very seriously by the Italians. One thing to watch for when you shop for cheese, is their quality assurance stamp on the label. This is known either as the PDO – ‘protected designation of origin’, or the IGT – ‘protected geographic indication. If you see this you know it’ a product of good quality. If you shop for wine, you’ll find that wines use these same designations.
Italian cheeses are some of the best because of the perfecting of their technique. If you begin to study these cheeses, you’re almost sure to hear about their famous ‘Bel Paese’. The word itself means ‘beautiful country’ in Italian. And this cheese is one of the most famous and popular ones to ever come out of Italy. It’s place of origin was in Milan, in ‘Melzo’. But now it’s made for the most part in Lombardy. It’s cow’s milk cheese intended for table use, but cooks up just as well.
Yes, the Italians and their passion for cheese making is known worldwide. They would hike up into the Alpine mountains, where they’d refine their cheese production methods. Then when they came down, the world welcomed them with open arms. Up there in the old days, back on the mountains, they’d use caves for keeping their cheese cool. The concept of refrigeration was still fairly new.
They still use many of the old methods and tools today. Their cutting boards, wooden shelves, oils, water, salt, and miniature hammers are still the basic tools for production. Their cheese still are made with the three common ingredients of milk, some rennet, and some salt. They would interchange milks to produce different types of cheeses.
Anytime you think about making cheese, it all begins with the milk. Cheese is simply the coagulation of milk. Ricotta is derived from cream and milk whey. But the four main sources of milk in Italy are the buffalo, the cow, the goat, and the sheep. But were you to want something even different from that, cheeses can be made from the milk of camels, reindeer, and even yaks.
Italian cheeses are some of the best by far, and it comes from a long tradition of cheese making. They take great pride in their work. So many people go through life eating and enjoying this great craftsmanship, without ever learning anything about it. It’s a shame, because it really is an interesting study. Anyone who wants to learn more about the Italians and their cheese, can go online and find tons of information to enlighten them. Next time you eat that pizza, think ‘Italian.
Learn more about italian food. Stop by Luigi DeMarco’s site where you can find out all about Italian cheeses and what it can do for you.
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