Italian Cheeses And Their Many Types

By Jim Antonio

Italian cheeses are some of the best in the World and all have so much flavor whether eaten alone or paired with your favorite dishes.

If smoky flavor and a mild taste is what you are looking for. The Provolone is the cheese you need. This is aged for 30 days and has enhanced flavors as well as being a delightful addition to many a sandwich or recipe.

A way to find the best of this cheese is to look for ones that hold true yellow coloring. These will be the most flavorful and the better choice. This is a great cheese to make grilled sandwiches out of or add in to your dishes that need melted cheese.

Asiago cheese is one that ages for approximately a year. It is made from the milk from cow's and has a firmer texture as well as it is pressed and then cooked. It is a pungent cheese but mild also. This cheese works as the perfect accompaniment in pasta dishes, shredded in casseroles etc., on fruit breads, in stews and in risotto recipes.

A famous and very flavorful Italian cheese is Parmigiano Reggiano. Spices of different Italian blends are added within to enhance it's aromatic flavors even more. A well known spice blend is that called Parma.

It can take up to a three year period for this cheese to reach it's full potential. Italian dishes only taste better when made using this excellent cheeses within them. Make sure it is a whole round when purchasing, this holds all those wonderful flavors and keeps it's freshness guaranteed which may not be up to par if cut.

Outside Milan is a town named Gorgonzola and you guessed it, Gorgonzola cheese made it's debut here. It is known as the Italian version of a great but much creamier Bleu cheese. American Bleu cheese is more dryer and not so rich in texture. It is a great addition to salads, fruit dishes or even as a cheese platter to accompany some of Italy's finest wines.

Everyone has heard of Mozzarella cheese and has used it in at least one Italian recipe they have made. Most Mozzarella can be found stored in the form of brine or water soaked balls. These can be some of the freshest on the markets. This can be used in casseroles, soups or salads as well, even in side dishes such as stuffed tomatoes, eggplant Parmesan etc.

A Italian Caprese is made with this cheese and adding in olive oil, tomatoes and basil. This a a true cheese lover's delight in flavors and should be tried at least once by everyone. This cheese can also be found packaged as shredded and in block forms too.

Pecorino cheese is made by using the milk of sheep instead of cow's. When aged it can take the place in most recipe's of Parmesan and is often times preferred by those who have a taste for the more sharper flavored cheese. Most Pecorino Romano cheese comes from Sicily and Tuscany.

A more soft textured cheese is that of Crescenza. It does not take long for this cheese to reach aging. Milan is where some of the best quality Italian cheeses originated from. A few other names this cheese is known as are either Robiola or the famous Certosa cheeses. A fine wine is made that much tastier with the addition of a fine and well aged cheese from Italy. - 30213

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