Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is a traditional, creamery and co-operative, blue cheese. The greenish-blue penicillin mould imparts a sharp, spicy flavour and provides an excellent contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. Gorgonzola is made in the northern Italian village of Gorgonzola, either from unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which the mould is added. At about four weeks the cheeses are pierced with needles to encourage the spread of the mould. Gorgonzola ripens in three to six months. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age.
Mozarella di Bufala
Dating back to the thirteenth century, this is a fresh, stretched curd cheese made from unpasteurised milk and composed of very thin layers. It is yielding in texture, porcelain-white in colour and has a slightly sour taste. It is thought that mozzarella takes its name from the verb mozzare, meaning ‘to cut’.
Parmigiano Reggiano - 30 months
The ultimate Italian Cheese from Emilia Romagna. Made from semi-skimmed milk and matured for a minimum of 24 months, in large 38kg cheeses. It can only be called Parmigiano Reggiano if it has been endorsed by the Consorzio which regulates its quality. The taste is salty, sweet and rich and the texture hard and grainy. The 30 month cheese has an even greater depth and complexity of flavour.
Pecorino
Pecorino is the Italian name given to any fresh, medium aged or matured cheeses made from sheep's milk, unless classifed otherwise since some Pecorino Toscano cheeses may also be made with a combination of sheep and cow's milk.
The fresh (fresco) Pecorino cheeses are soft, white cheeses with a mild, slightly lemony flavor, such as Ricotto Pecorino or Ricotta Salata. Their texture can range from soft and moist to crumbly and granular. As the Pecorino varieties age, the bone-colored paste becomes darker in colour with a firmer texture and a saltier flavour.
Tallegio
Tallegio is a cheese that generally found in 8-inch squares with a washed, pale-orange rind. It is slightly yellow and very soft. It gains flavour with age, and the best Tallegio is buttery and nutty. It comes from the northern Italian region of Lombardy, near the Swiss border.
This cheese is also known as “Stracchino” because cheese making was traditionally started after the cows’ descent from high mountain pastures. “Stracche” means tired in the local dialect. This cheese was first made in the Val Tallegio in the 10th and 11th centuries and is currently made in the Lombardy, Veneto and Piedmont regions of Italy.
Torta Basilico
Mascarpone, grana & taleggio cheeses layered with basil, pinenuts & garlic.