Feeling a little adventurous? Let’s discover Italian cheese: what they look and taste like, and what’s the best pairing for each one?

GORGONZOLA
Made from: Pasteurised cow’s milk
Type: Soft, blue-veined
Texture: Crumbly and firm
Flavour: Mild, sharp
Gorgonzola is one of the world’s oldest blue-veined cheeses. The process starts with milk, to which bacteria and the spores of a mould are added. Once it has curdled, it is put away to age for four months and develop its typical blue veins. It has a soft, crumbly texture and a nutty aroma, which is delicious in more robust dishes such as pasta and risotto. One of the most popular ways to enjoy this cheese, though, is on a platter with fresh fruit, preserves, honey and fresh bread.

PECORINO ROMANO
Made from: Pasteurised or unpasteurised cow’s or sheep’s milk
Type: Hard
Texture: Crumbly, dense
Flavour: Salty, sharp, smoky, spicy
Traditionally, pecorino is made from sheep’s milk. But most of the pecorinos we find in SA will be made with cow’s milk. It’s a lengthy process, with an ageing time of months. Pecorino starts off soft and rubbery, but as time goes by, it develops into a sharp, dry and granular cheese that is most typically grated over pasta dishes, breads and casseroles.

MOZZARELLA
Made from: Pasteurised or unpasteurised cow’s or water buffalo’s milk
Type: Semi-soft, brined
Texture: Springy, stringy and supple
Flavour: Milky
Traditionally made from the milk of water buffalo, it is a curd cheese that is not aged, but eaten fresh and stored in a brine. A whey starter is added to the milk, causing it to ripen, after which a rennet is added – and the coagulating begins. This forms the curd, which is cut into pieces and left to firm up. As you may have noticed, water buffaloes don’t live in SA – so it’s become mainstream for commercial mozzarellas to be made with cow’s milk. When it comes to eating it, mozzarella is a staple on pizzas (melted over anything, really), on top of baked dishes and fresh, or sliced and served with herbs and bread.

MASCARPONE
Made from: Pasteurised cow’s milk
Type: Fresh, soft, processed
Texture: Buttery, creamy, smooth, spreadable
Flavour: Buttery, creamy, mild, milky
It is a creamy, rich cheese used in both savoury and sweet dishes. Its creamy richness shines when paired with very strong flavours, such as anchovies, cocoa and coffee.

PARMESAN
Made From: Unpasteurised cow’s milk
Type: Hard
Texture: Dense, grainy
Flavour: Nutty, sharp
It has a strong, salty taste, which is why it does well with other bold flavours such as tomato sauce or