"italian cheese" news and stories

It's easy to understand why Grana Padano is Italy's most popular (and most consumed) hard cheese. Whether eaten on its own or grated over pasta and salad, its deep golden color, fruity aroma, firm texture loaded with deliciously crunchy amino acid crystals (concentration of calcium lactate) and sweet caramel-like taste make it irresistible.

Grana Padano's rich history is reflected in its complex array of flavors. The cheese dates back over a thousand years, to the 10th century, when Cistercian monks reclaimed the region around the Po River Valley in Northern Italy (often referred to as the "bread basket of Italy"), and, decided to produce a cheese that would stand the test of time. To learn more about this cheese's current production, we spoke to Lou Di Palo, owner of Di Palo's, the legendary Italian specialty food store, located on Grand Street in New York City.

If you love Italian cheeses as much as I do, you probably know that the term "robiola" is vague and can refer to a variety of different style cheeses from all over Italy. For example, in Campania, you can try an ash-coated buffalo milk cheese called Robiola in Cenere. Despite this diversity, Robiola di Roccaverano comes closest to the original conception of this cheese that was first produced by Ligurian Celts in the eleventh century. Robiola di Roccaverano has a luscious cakey creamy texture and a lightly acidic taste that is balanced by a rich grassy taste of goat's milk.

Robiola di Roccaverano is produced in the area around the village of Roccaverano in the Piedmont region of Italy. It has a DOP label which functions similarly to the French AOC; to protect the traditional way of production. Unfortunately, the DOP rules are shockingly lax. Today, a Robiola di Roccaverano can be produced with 85 percent cow's milk. This is because goat's milk, the original milk used in this cheese, is more expensive. Goat's do not yield as much milk as cows. Fortunately, there are numerous cheese vendors selling 100 percent goat's milk robiolas and ultimately helping to preserve the traditional ways of cheese production that have existed for hundreds of years.

Last fall, I visited the charming village of Roccaverano and had the culinary pleasure of eating ravioli with 100 percent raw goat's milk Robiola di Roccaverano. Cheese producers were selling robiolas on the side of the road, directly off their farms. We mostly ate Robiola di Roccaverano with savory foods, such as salame. However, you can also try it with a grape mostarda, a typical piedmontese condiment. Recommendations on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.

Last year, at Slow Food's cheese festival in Italy, I tried Nostrale di Elva, a rich cow's milk cheese with a slight cheddar-like taste and a creamy texture. What first attracted me to this cheese was it's circular patterns on the rind and its oozing light pale paste. The cheese's bright earthy, lightly acidic flavor, pairs well with drizzled honey, in particular wild dandelion honey. Interested in a decadent sandwich? Put Nostrale di Elva in a variety of sandwiches to add a more interesting texture and flavor.

In Italian, "Nostra" means "our." Nostrale di Elva is produced in the Alpine village of Elva by a small cheese consortium that uses raw milk from cows that graze on pastures over 5,000 feet high. The craftsmanship of this cheese can be attested to the cheese's unique luscious texture and sweet taste. It's unlike many similar style Italian cheeses, such as Raschera and Castelmagno. The wheels are aged by an expert affineur in the Piedmont.

Where can one purchase Nostrale di Elva?
Currently, the cheese is being imported exclusively by Formaggio Kitchen. The cheese sells for about $27 per pound on their website. You may be able to find it from Ayse Gurdal at Formaggio Essex in NY. When in Italy, I highly recommend making a trip to the Piedmont to taste some of the best creamy and savory dishes. While in the Piedmont, drive through Elva and experience the seemingly endless impressive bucolic countryside that makes this artisanal cheese so special.

Kraft Foods has announced they are ready to launch the latest addition to the DiGiorno pizza line - the DiGiorno Ultimate. Complete with toppings such as imported Italian cheeses, capicolla ham and Genoa salami, julienne strips of red onion and green and red peppers, and a new rising thin crust, they are hoping that consumers will be willing to "trade up" due to our ever-increasing desire for premium products.

It has been 10 years since they launched the original brand, and of course from a business standpoint I understand why they keep releasing new products, but do we, as consumers, really need yet another frozen pizza to choose from? Though the toppings sound delicious and they are positioning the product as a "super-premium offering", I have to wonder if this is really something all that different from what is available now.

The pizza will be launched in Chicago next weekend followed by other Midwestern cities, and will reach national distribution by summer.

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