Cheese evening

Hi everyone!

Today it's going to be really...cheesy :D. The Italians are real fans of cheeses and are more likely to add them to a dish than a fresh vegetable. I had the opportunity to convince myself of this while eating.... scrambled eggs with cheese :P.  Although I definitely prefer the one with onions and tomatoes, today I would like to introduce you to 4 types of cheese that I think you will most often see in Italian kitchens.

Ready? Here we go! :D

1.   MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA CAMPANA: the best is certainly produced in the southern regions of Italy, the milk used is obviously that of buffalo. It has a soft, stringy texture and a taste very similar to that of yoghurt. It is excellent eaten alone, but also as a topping for pizza, another world-famous Italian speciality :D

   

 

2.     PARMIGIANO REGGIANO/GRANA PADANO: the first is produced in Emilia-Romagna, while the second is typically Lombardy but is also produced in Trentino Alto Adige, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto (the Po Valley extends into these areas). Parmigiano is a cheese with a maturation period ranging from 12 to 18 months, while Grana can reach 20 months. They have a hard but crumbly texture, are characterised by an intense flavour and are often used to season pasta dishes.

 

 

3.    PECORINO: there are 3 versions: Sardinian, Tuscan and Roman, which vary according to the place of production. Fat cheese with a hard or semi-hard consistency, it is subjected to a medium-long seasoning. For the Tuscan and Roman pecorino, cow's milk is used, while for the Sardinian one, goat's milk is used. It exists in sweet or seasoned version with a stronger flavour.

    

 

4.   GORGONZOLA: produced in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy, it exists in a sweet or spicy version. It is a moulded cheese and is produced with the milk of the Penicillium Roqueforti cow. It can also be sold with the addition of walnuts, salmon or mascarpone cheese to make it even tastier.

I hope you enjoyed the post and that we will see you next time. Bye!  :D