St. James Cheese Company New Orleans

product details

In order to retain absolute and complete freshness, this item must be shipped by either 2-day or overnight delivery.

• textures
• Semi-soft
• Creamy

Country

Italy

Pasteurization

Pasteurized

Milk Type

Cow

Cheese Type

Blue

Intensity

Strong

About this item

The story behind Gorgonzola is a series of fortunate events.

1) The town of Gorgonzola just happened to be the halfway point for herds of Lombardy cows making their biannual treks to and from seasonal pastures. As such, they stopped to rest there, and were milked in the meantime. Thus, the town of Gorgonzola was inundated with milk twice a year, and since the quantity of milk far exceeded what the residents could possibly drink, it was used to make cheese.

2) A certain mold lurked on the walls of the damp, drafty caves where the wheels of Gorgonzola were kept. At some point the cheese makers realized that this mold had migrated on and into the cheeses resting there. It was also discovered that this intrusion actually lent the cheese an appealing flavor. The rest was history.

Gorgonzola Piccante is one of several varieties of Gorgonzola produced in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is aged longer and has a thicker rind than its counterpart, Gorgonzola Dolce. While Dolce is sweet, Piccante is salty and piquant. Once formed, the wheels of both types are washed with brine during the ripening process, and the resulting surface bacteria are what creates Gorgonzola's strong aroma.