There are many different types of Italian cheeses and most are very traditional to a specific area of the country. Cheeses that have regional designations or have label with the protected designation of origin have a specific set of rules that must be followed. In order to have a label from that region it must be made in a specific way and with products from that region.

One of the most famous Italian chesses is Asiago. The texture of this cheese will differ depending on its age and very fresh Asiago is smooth and aged Asiago is crumbly. Asiago can only be made in the town of Asiago which is in the Veneto region of Italy. This cheese is frequently used in sauces, pasta, soups, salads or sliced on sandwiches and panini.

A soft mild cheese that is quite well known is Bel Paese. This cheese was specifically designed to be a more delicate style of cheese. It is made in many parts of the world but was first produced just outside or Milan. It has a very short aging time of up to 2 months and is made primarily from cow’s milk. The name Bel Paese means Beautiful country and is taken from the name of a famous Stoppani book of the same name.

A fun bite sized cheese is Bocconcino. This cheese comes in small balls that are made of unripened cheese. This unripened cheese does not have a rind and is typically made of buffalo milk. Today some bocconcino is also made of cow’s milk. In order to keep the cheeses texture, which is spongy, bocconcino is packaged in water or whey.

A lovely cheese that is comprised of mozzarella and cream is burrata. Burrata has a firmer outer layer that is made only of mozzarella and the center is made of a mixture of mozzarella and cream, which makes a softer center. This cheese originates from Apulia in the’20s and is considered an artisanal product. You serve burrata by slicing it pen so that the center can flow out but you need to eat the cheese within 24 hours as the flavor will quickly dissipate.

A traditional Sicilian cheese made of sheep and cow milk is caciocavallo. This cheese comes with its own EU designation of origin as the cows and sheep must be feed particular food and the cheese must be made in a specific way. The flavor of caciocavallo is very similar to provolone and the cheese is generally shaped like a tear drop.

A very old cheese that was a favorite of Michelangelo and Pope Clement XIV is casciotta d’Urbino. There are many different types of casciotta and casciotta d’Urbino is made in central Italy of cow and sheep milk. This is a rinded cheese that has a yellow or white interior and a very mild flavor.

A semi hard cheese that has a lot of fat in it is Castelmagno. This high fat content is due to the fact that whole cow’s milk is used to make the cheese. The cows must eat very specific foods such as fresh forage and hay from a meadow or pasture. Castelmagno is normally found in fondues and veloutees and is excellent when paired with fortified wines or honey.

Want to find out more about Italian cheeses, then visit Frank Zaftra’s site on how to choose the best Italian cheeses for your needs.