Cheese: Gorgonzola DOP
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Introduction
Here we continue our presentation of Italy's 155 products of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO, or, in Italian, DOP, Denominazione di Origine Protetta) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI, or IGP in Italian, Indicazione Geografica Protetta).
This month we present two DOP cheeses from Lombardy: the well known Gorgonzola, which is appreciated by gourmands worldwide, and the Formai de Mut DOP, a cheese which is hardly know and very rare outside the production zone.
Gorgonzola DOP (Lombardy)
Protected Designations of Origin: June 12, 1996
The majority of the many legends about the Gorgonzola cheese origin, place it between the 10th and 12th century in the province of Milan, or more precisely, in the surrounding of the town of Gorgonzola. Up to the 20th century, Gorgonzola was know by the generic names of stracchino, green stracchino, or stracchino from Gorgonzola. The name Gorgonzola was adopted to identify and appreciate the original product made according to tradition.
Characteristics of the Product
This is a soft cheese with herb flavoring which is found in two varieties: the single curd, and the two-curd cheese, the second being the most ancient and traditional type of Gorgonzola cheese.
The Gorgonzola made with two curds is produced exclusively by artisans in very limited quantity, using milk from two different milkings. The curd made with the evening milk is hung overnight on a special perch, thus being naturally exposed to the precious spores which give the cheese its particular flavor.
Two-curd Gorgonzola
The following day the curd is laid in the round mould alternating it with the curd obtained from the morning milking. while the cheese matures, the wheels are punctured to allow the formation of the blue-green mildew characteristic of this cheese. The finished product has a strong, spicy, typical flavor.
The single curd Gorgonzola DOP is usually made with pasteurized milk from a single milking and is sweeter compared to the other variety, though it is equally appreciated and more readily available.
Sweet Gorgonzola
The milk is worked in large boilers, adding milk enzymes, curdle and pennicillii spores, or the microscopic fungus responsible for the green marbling of the cheese. Salt seasoning takes place at the temperature of 20° to 22°C.(68° to 71.6°F.) in highly humid rooms.
In the old days the cheese was left to age in natural caves, however today this takes place in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms. After about four weeks, the wheels are punctured on one side with large copper or iron needles pulled in for about half the wheel height. After a few days the wheels are turned over and punctured on the other side. That's how the precious, typical mildew which characterizes the Gorgonzola and gives its typical flavor to it, is formed.
Before being released, each wheel is wrapped in aluminum foil to minimize the weight loss due to evaporation, protect the rind from unwanted cracks and breakages, as well as to preserve the organoleptic characteristics of this special cheese.
The rind is coarse and has reddish color. The interior is soft, either white or light straw yellow, and crisscrossed by typical greenish marbling.
Use and Wine Pairing
In addition to being one of the most appreciated and used cheeses in Italy, Gorgonzola DOP is widely known and appreciated overseas as well.
It's excellent with simple home made bread or polenta, and it's used in the preparation of sauces and other recipes. As for other herb-flavored cheeses, the Gorgonzola pairs well with robust red wines with intense perfumes, such as the Monferrato DOC Infinito by Poderi Rosso Giovanni, or the Super Tuscan Maclura by Terre di Nano, the Primitivo di Manduria DOC Abeterno by Cooperativa CantOlio di Manduria, or even a dessert wine such as the Recioto di Soave DOCG Tre Colli by Azienda Agricola Tessari.
- Production Zone:
The provinces of Novara, Vercelli, Cuneo, Alessandria, Pavia, Milan, Como, Bergamo, Brescia, and Cremona. - Producers' Organization:
Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Gorgonzola
Via A. Costa 5/c, 28100 Novara
Tel.: 0321626613
Fax: 0321390936
E-mail: consorzio.gorgonzola@gorgonzola.it
Formai de Mut DOP (Lombardy)
Protected Designations of Origin: D.P.R. 10/9/1985
In Val Brembana dialect, formai del mut means 'cheese from the mountain', or from the alpeggio, or the pasture in the highland plateaus where the peasants take the cows in summer time. Because of the limited amount produced, it is very rare to find this type of cheese outside its production zone. The particular flavor of the formai del mut DOP is due to the aromatic herbs found in the Alpine pastures, where the Bruna (Brown) variety of cows have been raised for centuries.
Characteristics of the Product
It takes about 10 liters (2.64 gallons) of milk to produce one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cheese. After the morning and evening milking the milk is poured in large copper cauldrons which contain up to 3,000 to 4,000 liters (792.5 to 1,056 gallons), and heated to 35° to 37°C. (95° to 98.6°F.) adding curdle to it.
The curd is gathered with special fabric filters called pate, then laid inside the traditional round wooden moulds called fassere, where it is pressed with artisan's tools. In summer time, traditionally the cheese is dry-seasoned, salting alternatively the two sides for eight days, or four times for each side.
In addition to being produced high in the mountain in summertime, in the so called casere d'alpe, the formai del mut DOP is produced also down in the low valleys in winter, by small local dairies at controlled temperature and humidity. In this case the milk used is semi-skimmed and salt seasoning is made in brine.
After 40 to 45 days of maturation the cheese is ready for fresh consumption, however, it can be aged for over six months.
The finished wheel has a diameter of 30 to 40 centimeters (11.8 to 15.75 inches), weighs from 8 to 12 kilograms (17.6 to 26.4 pounds) and before being released on the market, is marked by the Consorzio di Tutela.
The rind is thin, with straw yellow color when the cheese is young, but fades to gray with ageing. The interior is ivory white, compact and soft. The flavor is delicate and fragrant, thanks to the aromatic Alpine herbs which give the cheese its characteristic aroma.
Use and Wine Pairing
In addition to being an excellent table cheese, in Val Brembana the formai del mut DOP is used in many local recipes.
The fresh cheese, aged around two months, is best paired with white wines, while with cheese aged six months or longer, gives its best paired with more or less structured red wines.
- Production Zone:
Twenty one municipalities in the Alta Val Brembana area, in the province of Bergamo. - Producers' Organization:
Consorzio per la Tutela Formai de Mut dell'Alta Val Brembana
Via B. Belotti, 54
24014 Piazza Brembana (BG)
E-mail: formaidemutavb@tiscalinet.it
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