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Gorgonzola

Whole cows' milk cheese, a soft table cheese, uncooked with characteristic green/blue veining.

Geographical area: the entire territory of the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como,  Cremona, Cuneo, Milan, Novara, Pavia, Vercelli and the adjacent commune of Casale Monferrato in the province of Alessandria, forming a continous area.

Connected with the traditional use of alpine pastures came the practice of concentrating the herds of cows within the territory of the commune of Gorgonzola and neighbouring areas at certain times of the year. The milk obtained was turned into cheese and matured in natural caves to acquire the characteristic veining due to the presence of specific strains of mould. These traditions have become established with time, evolving with the sector.

After renneting the milk with calf’s rennet, the cooled curds are placed in layers and dry salted. During ripening, strains of penicillin are injected to give the product its characteristic green colouring.

The natural factors are connected with the climatic conditions of the production area, which are favourable for abundant and high quality fodder used to feed the dairy cows as well as the development of the microbiological agents which give the organoleptic and colour characteristics to the cheese. As for the human factors, the cheese has achieved wide distribution and is also used with traditional cereal-based preparations, typical of its area of origin.

Italian Cheeses PDO