Typical Products from Piemonte
Gorgonzola DOP
Description
Gorgonzola PDO is a type of cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk that has blue-green and/or grey light blue veins running through it. The cheese must be made using whole cow’s milk that comes from the designated production area. There are two varieties of Gorgonzola cheese available: Piccante (which is piquant or sharp in taste), and Dolce (which is sweet in taste).
Production area
The production area of Gorgonzola PDO is within the entire territory of the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Pavia, Varese and Monza in the Lombardy region; within the provinces of Biella, Cuneo, Vercelli, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and within 31 municipal areas in the Province of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region.
History
There are numerous legends surrounding the beginnings of Gorgonzola PDO, but most agree that its origins can be traced back to the 10th to 12th centuries, in the vicinity of the town of Gorgonzola, which is located in the Province of Milan. Prior to the late 20th century, this cheese was commonly referred to as stracchino or, more specifically, stracchino verde or stracchino di Gorgonzola.