"robiola" news and stories

Robiola di Capra al Fico. Photo: Formaggio Kitchen.

Many cheeses, like St Pat and Hoja Santa, are covered in leaves to add a distinct herbal, sometimes earthy, taste. Wrapping cheese in leaves may seem gimmicky, but it can actually serve an essential role in developing the cheese's flavor. For instance, Robiola di Capra al Fico is a fresh Italian goat's milk cheese wrapped in fig leaves and exuding a citrus aroma.

The amount of time the cheese is aged in the leaves triggers the growth of certain molds and flavors. Coming from the Burrati family in Verbania, Italy, this incredibly milky tasting Robiola is not aged long enough for the fig leaves to create too pungent or too tart of a flavor. Instead, these bright-green leaves establish a mild acidity that beautifully balances the overwhelming creamy flavor and texture of the cheese.

Robiola are unique cheeses from the Piemonte and Lombardia, which are regions of Italy. The cheeses have a long history going back into antiquity, and are members of the Stracchino family of cheeses. Ribiola is unique because it can be made from one, two, or three types of milk from cows, sheep, and goats, something a bit unusual in the cheese making world. It is also made in several styles as well, including fresh and aged, so this is a cheese that can be radically different in taste and texture depending upon how and who makes it. I read about it recently but haven't had the chance to try it since it can be hard to find in the U.S. Have you you seen or tried any of the varieties of Robiola available?

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