Learning about tasty Italian cheeses can be more involved than you think. Especially when you consider that there are about 400 of them. We're all familiar with a few that we put on our pizzas and sandwiches, but most people are unaware of the wide variety of them that actually exist. I think it's safe to say that the Italian cheeses are among the best in the world.
From Sicily to Tuscany the Italians make some of the best parmigiano and provolone in the world. Their Mozzarella is a household name. And again, these don't even scratch the surface of the number of cheeses they actually make. They use goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo milk, and cow in their processes. All their cheeses have great texture and fragrance, and are good for both shredding and cooking.
The Italians take a lot of pride in their cheese quality. And if you go shopping for a quality Italian cheese, just look for the classifications on the label. These are the 'PDO', which means Protected Designation of Origin. And the other is IGT, which means the Protected Geographic Indication. This is known as their stamp of approval as far as quality assurance. Wine uses the same indicators.
Italian cheeses are known worldwide mostly due to the years of perfecting the techniques. They have managed to produce some cheese that are actually famous. Like the 'Bel Paese'. This cheese is very famous and extremely popular, and the name itself translates into 'beautiful country' in the Italian language. Originating in Milan, it's now made in Lombardy, and was intended to be a table cheese. It's made from the milk of the cow.
The Italians really have a passion for their cheese making. From way up in the Alpine mountains, they have refined their processes, and brought them down to a world that loves what they've done. In the old days they would go to the mountains and practice their craft. They had to use caves to keep their cheeses cool, because refrigeration was a pretty new concept.
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.
Regardless of what type of cheese they're making, the starting point is the milk. When all is said and done, cheese is coagulated milk. In the case of Ricotta, cream is used along with milk whey. The Italians commonly use four types of milk, which come from the cow, the goat, the sheep, and the buffalo. But some types of cheeses can also be made with other milks, like camel, or yak, or reindeer.
Italian cheeses are known worldwide, yet many Americans go about their lives enjoying the fruits of Italian labor, without ever learning about the processes or history behind them. It's a very interesting subject for study. If you'd like to learn more about it, you're only a few mouse-clicks away. The internet is loaded with information about the Italians and their wonderful cheese. - 30210
From Sicily to Tuscany the Italians make some of the best parmigiano and provolone in the world. Their Mozzarella is a household name. And again, these don't even scratch the surface of the number of cheeses they actually make. They use goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo milk, and cow in their processes. All their cheeses have great texture and fragrance, and are good for both shredding and cooking.
The Italians take a lot of pride in their cheese quality. And if you go shopping for a quality Italian cheese, just look for the classifications on the label. These are the 'PDO', which means Protected Designation of Origin. And the other is IGT, which means the Protected Geographic Indication. This is known as their stamp of approval as far as quality assurance. Wine uses the same indicators.
Italian cheeses are known worldwide mostly due to the years of perfecting the techniques. They have managed to produce some cheese that are actually famous. Like the 'Bel Paese'. This cheese is very famous and extremely popular, and the name itself translates into 'beautiful country' in the Italian language. Originating in Milan, it's now made in Lombardy, and was intended to be a table cheese. It's made from the milk of the cow.
The Italians really have a passion for their cheese making. From way up in the Alpine mountains, they have refined their processes, and brought them down to a world that loves what they've done. In the old days they would go to the mountains and practice their craft. They had to use caves to keep their cheeses cool, because refrigeration was a pretty new concept.
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.
Regardless of what type of cheese they're making, the starting point is the milk. When all is said and done, cheese is coagulated milk. In the case of Ricotta, cream is used along with milk whey. The Italians commonly use four types of milk, which come from the cow, the goat, the sheep, and the buffalo. But some types of cheeses can also be made with other milks, like camel, or yak, or reindeer.
Italian cheeses are known worldwide, yet many Americans go about their lives enjoying the fruits of Italian labor, without ever learning about the processes or history behind them. It's a very interesting subject for study. If you'd like to learn more about it, you're only a few mouse-clicks away. The internet is loaded with information about the Italians and their wonderful cheese. - 30210
About the Author:
Want to find out more about italian food, then visit Luigi DeMarco's site on how to choose the best Italian cheeses for your needs.
