Parmesan, mozzarella, mascarpone, gorgonzola – the names of these Italian cheeses are familiar to every tourist. From this review, you will learn how much cheese costs in Italy, which varieties are the most popular, and you will be able to decide which cheese to bring back from your trip to this country.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmesan – this is how, in the French manner, it is customary to pronounce the name of this widely known variety. The famous hard Italian cheese has the DOP quality mark and is protected by geographical origin. Today, only the best cheeses produced in northern Italy can bear this name.
The process of making Parmesan in cheese factories is strictly regulated and lasts from April 1 to November 11. The cheese then goes through a long ripening period, which can last from 1 to 3 years. Experts determine the ripeness of the delicacy by sound, tapping the heads with traditional hammers.
Parmesan crumbles when cut and is distinguished not only by its brittle structure, but also by its spicy, delicate taste. Cheese is eaten as a separate snack, and also added to pasta , pizza or salads.
In Italy, delicious Parmesan is often called the “king of cheeses,” and some financial institutions even issue loans to its producers against “cheese collateral.”
The price of Parmigiano Reggiano depends on the aging time. At the Roman delicatessen store The Salumeria Volpetti, 300 g of cheese costs 7.47 €. Parmesan aged 36 months can be bought there for 15-18 € (300 g). And in Italian chain supermarkets you will have to pay 9-13 € for a package of cheese (500 g).
Grana Padano
Grana Padano is another classic Italian hard cheese. It matures for 9-20 months and has a salty, spicy taste with nutty notes. Since the invention of cheese by monks in the 12th century, its recipe has remained unchanged.A kilogram of grana padano requires 17 liters of partially skimmed cow’s milk.
The word grana in Italian means “grain” – and as if to confirm this, the cheese has a characteristic grainy structure. It goes well with red Italian wines and vermouth, and is also often used in cooking for preparing salads, sauces and main courses.
Grana Padano is very similar to Parmesan and is considered a direct competitor to the “king of cheeses” – no less tasty, but more affordable in terms of price. You can buy a kilogram of this cheese for about 15-20 €, while aged Parmesan costs significantly more. In stores, a package (100 g) of grana padano is sold for 2-3 €.
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is a soft Italian cream cheese originally from Lombardy. Its history goes back several centuries. And during this time, it not only has not lost its popularity, but has also gained fans all over the world, since it is ideal for desserts. This is an indispensable ingredient for cheesecakes, tiramisu, cakes and other delicacies. In Italy, mascarpone is also often used for sandwiches, spread instead of butter, and soups, risotto and appetizers are prepared with it.
Unlike other Italian cheeses, mascarpone spoils very quickly after opening the package. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days, and the freezer is completely prohibited.
Cheese is made from heavy cream, which is heated in a water bath, and then acid is added to it to coagulate the milk protein. The mass is then cooled, placed in a cool room and hung in linen bags to remove the whey. Mascarpone has a delicate taste, 75% fat content and creamy consistency. They sell it for about 2.80 € per 200 g or 5 € per 500 g.
Mozzarella
If you see tender white lumps in brine on sale, this is mozzarella, one of the most famous Italian cheeses. It was originally made from buffalo milk, but today it is also made from cow milk and is called fior di latte, which literally means “milk flower”. The milk is fermented, heated, the whey is separated and mixed until a homogeneous elastic mass is formed.
Depending on the size, the mozzarella balls are called “bocconcini” (large), “cigliegini” (medium), “perlini” (tiny). Mozzarella is also available in the form of a braid (“traccia”).
Then the mass is kneaded like stiff dough, periodically heating, the pieces are shaped and placed in a solution of table salt. The cheese turns out to be very tender, juicy, fatty, with a layered structure. It is used to prepare many national dishes , and since it melts well, it is considered an excellent Italian cheese for frying. There are also hard and smoked varieties.
Mozzarella does not last long and costs 1-1.5 € (125 g), 2-3 € (200 g) in supermarkets.
Ricotta
Ricotta is made from the whey remaining after the production of mozzarella and similar cheeses. This product is traditional for the southern regions of the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily. It has a sweetish taste and can be made from whey from cow, sheep, goat or buffalo milk.
Ricotta is made by heating the whey to 80-90 degrees. Cheese flakes are separated from it, which are then placed in special baskets. There are many recipes that result in fresh (fresca), aged (romana), smoked (affumicata) ricotta, as well as cheese with the addition of lemon or chocolate (al forno).
Pies and Italian ravioli are prepared with ricotta filling. This cheese is a popular ingredient in many desserts , cakes and hot dishes, in particular lasagna. It costs 8-10 € per 1 kg. Sheep milk ricotta, as a rule, has a higher fat content and a higher cost – 17-20 € per 1 kg. In the Cerrefour supermarket in Italy, ricotta sells for 1 € per 250 g.
Burrata
Burrata cheese belongs to the mozzarella family. Its history is not too long – it was first made almost a hundred years ago. Cheese is made from cow or buffalo milk and cream. Burrata has a delicate taste, creamy consistency and is considered a delicacy.
Because the hot cheese mixture is placed into a pouch lined with mozzarella slices, burrata is often called “cheese in a pouch.” Another important feature is the leaves of the golden flower, in which the finished cheese is traditionally wrapped, tying the top. This unusual ingredient gives the product a special aroma.
In Italy, burrata is often used as a topping for pizza , and they also like to eat it fresh, sprinkled with salt and black pepper, sprinkled with olive oil , and using bread to skillfully collect the liquid filling.
Cheese has a very short shelf life, so it is eaten as fresh as possible. You can buy burrata in Italy for 25-26 € per 1 kg. In chain stores, the product is less common than other cheeses and costs approximately 4 € per 250 g.
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is a famous Italian cheese protected by the DOP quality mark. It belongs to blue cheeses, and the long traditions of its production date back to the Middle Ages. Gorgonzola is made in northern Italy from cow’s milk using enzymes and spores of the fungus penicillium. This method is also used in Germany to produce the famous Cambozola.
After ripening, the cheese has a delicate texture, a specific pungent taste and a marbled pattern formed by mold. Young sweetish pasty cheese, which matures for 2 months, is called Gorgonzola Dolce. This product costs from 11 to 22 € per 1 kg. A more mature type of this cheese, ripened for up to 4 months, and more crumbly, is sold under the name Gorgonzola Piccante at a price of 14 to 39 € per 1 kg. In Carrefour supermarkets Gorgonzola Dolce (150-200 g) can be bought for 2-2.5 €.Today in Italy there are 30 cheese factories that produce the original Gorgonzola. They are mainly concentrated in Novara (approximately 45%), Pavia (22%) and Milan (15%).
Ubriaco and Vento d’estate
In the vicinity of the city of Treviso in northern Italy, the famous Ubriaco – “drunken” cheeses are made. The history of this unusual product began during the First World War. When Austro-Hungarian troops passed through the region, they forced farmers to give their provisions to the exhausted soldiers. Faced with a severe food shortage, local residents tried to hide food and put cheese in barrels of wine.
When the troops left and the farmers took out the cheese, they discovered that the result of combining the flavors of cheese and wine was delicious. Their desperate ploy turned into a real culinary breakthrough. Today, the cheese matures in containers with grape pomace, absorbing the wonderful wine aroma. Cheesemakers face an important task: to achieve a harmonious balance between cheese and wine flavors. The finished product has a purple crust, a light wine aroma and a dry consistency.
Using the same principle, unusual spicy cheeses are made at the family cheese factory La Casearia Carpenedo SRL in the vicinity of Treviso. One of them is Vento d’estate made from goat’s milk. It matures in barrels along with hay from high alpine pastures. During ripening, the cheese heads absorb the entire bouquet of mountain herbs and acquire an incredibly rich aroma. You can buy a kilogram of Ubriaco cheese for 33-40 €, and Vento d’estate costs 30-35 €.
Italian cheese festival
Every year in the city of Bra, in the province of Piedmont in Italy, the International Cheese Festival is held. More than 300 manufacturers take part in the festival, and tens of thousands of guests come from around the world.
Hundreds of tents are set up for cheese makers right on the city streets, where they can present their products. Some producers come to Piedmont with their own equipment to clearly show viewers how cheese is made in Italy. Everyone can try local and foreign cheeses.
At this feast of taste, guests eat almost a ton of Focaccia di Genova and more than one and a half tons of Mozzarella di Buffala. Needless to say, wine flows like a river here – festival visitors are offered one and a half thousand varieties of excellent Italian wines! The opening takes place in mid-September, and the cheese festival lasts 4 days.
