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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 mild and delicate soft cheese is Bel Paese. This is a semi-soft cheese that comes from the area just outside of Milan. However producers have started to make Bel Paese in the US as well as other areas of Italy. Bel Paese has a short aging period of 6 to 8 weeks and is made entirely from cow’s milk. The name Bel Paese comes from a book by Stroppani which is called Beautiful Country.

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.

Burrata is a type of cheese made form cream and mozzarella. The outside of the cheese is only made of mozzarella and the inside is softer and is made of cream and mozzarella. Burrata was first produced in the early’00s in a small spot of the Apulia region. It has since become and artisanal cheese. It is best serves when sliced open so the softer center can flow out. It should be eaten in 24 hours otherwise the flavors will diminish.

A cheese from Sicily that carries a protected designation of origin is Caciocavallo. This is a cheese made of sheep and cow milk and has a flavor very similar to provolone. This cheese is traditionally shaped in a tear drop form and the name actually translates to cheese on horseback. This name may be due to the fact that the very first of its kind was made using mare’s milk.

A very ancient Italian cheese is casciotta d’Urbino. There are many different forms of casciotta and this type is very old and is traditionally made of mainly sheep’s milk with about 20% cow’s milk. Casciotta d’Urbino was a favorite of Michelangelo and Pope Clement XIV. The body of this cheese has a mild flavor and is white or yellow in color and is surrounded with a yellow rind.

A cheese that is typically used in fondues of veloutees is castelmagno. This cheese is half fat and classified as semi hard. You use whole cow’s milk and the cow must eat fresh hay from a pasture. Castelmagno goes particularly well when paired with honey or fortified wines.

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