. It’s a soft cheese being produced for 1200 years.
. It is a DOP cheese, certified and guaranteed by European Community.
. In the past it was known as Stracchino di Gorgonzola – Stracchino, name of a soft cheese, from Gorgonzola – produced in Gorgonzola, a town on the outskirts of Milan, or also as Stracchino Verde – Green Stracchino – due to the greenish color of the cheese’s marbling.
. It is produced in between Piedmont and Lombardy Regions, in the North West of Italy. The Province – County – of Novara, in Piedmont Region, is the one with the highest number of cheese farms producing Gorgonzola cheese, with about 65% of the total cheese farms.
. It is produced with raw whole cow’s milk, selected molds and lactic ferments.
. Gorgonzola cheese is creamy and soft and there are two types: the Gorgonzola Dolce type has a particular and characteristic flavor, slightly spicy; the Gorgonzola Piccante type has a more decisive and strong flavor whose texture is more marbled, consistent and crumbly.
. As foreseen by the production disciplinary, Gorgonzola Dolce ages from a minimum of 50 days to a maximum of 150 days; Gorgonzola Piccante ages from a minimum of 80 days to a maximum of 270 days.
It is produced only with milk from stables located in the area of origin of the cheese itself.
. It is considered the king of Italian blue cheeses and about 30% of the production is exported, mostly to France and Germany, but also to North America and to some Asian countries.
. To fully enjoy the creaminess of sweet Gorgonzola, it is best to remove it from the refrigerator at least half an hour before eating.
. The guarantee of authenticity is the “g” brand printed on the background of the foil that wraps the cheese.