Gorgonzola is the designation of origin of a traditional cheese made from cow's milk, with a blue vein, made in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont.
Since June 12, 1996, the designation of origin “gorgonzola” has been preserved at European Union level by a protected designation of origin (PDO).
Production area
Formerly, at certain times of the year, it was customary to regroup the herds of cattle on the territory of the municipality of Gorgonzola. The milk obtained was then transformed into cheese with a marbled character by maturing in natural rock cavities rich in specific mold strains (such as Penicillium glaucum). Over time, these traditions were asserted and passed on to other provinces.
Today, a large part of gorgonzola is made in the province of Novara, but also in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Pavia, Varese, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, and Vercelli, as well as the municipalities of the Casale Monferrato area (Province of Alexandria).
Description and use
It is a cheese made from cow's milk, with a blue vein, with an average weight of 6 to 12 kg. Its ideal consumption period is from April to September after maturing for 5 to 7 weeks.
Gorgonzola can be consumed in a number of ways. It can be melted inside a risotto during the final cooking, or combined with a pear. Another common practice is to serve it as an accompaniment to polenta. Thanks to its characteristic taste, it is occasionally offered as an ingredient in pizzas (one of the four cheeses of quattro formaggi). It is also found marketed mixed with white mascarpone.
