Italian

The ancient Italian cheese, Montasio, dates back to the 13th century. Born in the beautiful Carnic Alps of northeastern Italy, Montasio was first known as “Carnia” (the name of Friuli’s culture-colliding, mountainous region found between Austria – to the north, and Slovenia – to the east). The herb-saturated alpine pastures on which the cattle graze account for the high-butterfat content milk that forms Montasio’s unmistakable richness and slightly sweet, grassy flavor. After 2 months of controlled aging, Montasio is sold as fresco, Italian for “fresh”. It is the youngest variety of this renowned semi-hard, cooked cheese. Montasio fresco has a white, dense paste dotted with holes, a smooth texture, and a nutty, tangy, yet delicately mild taste within its soft rind that bears the official Montasio Protection Consortium stamp and identification numbers.

A soft, blue cheese made with uncooked cow’s whole milk . Its name is that of a small town in Lombardy near Milan, where it is said to have been born in the twelfth century in order to retrieve a forgotten curd of the day before. Gorgonzola Dolce is a soft cheese, with a homogeneous distribution of its mainly blue coloured veins.

This naturally sweet, yet surprisingly light, soft cheese is made from the freshest pasteurized cream. The ultimate dessert cheese, it compliments chocolates, coffee, fruits, liqueurs and is used to make tiramisu. Excellent on pasta, or as a delicious spread (with just half the calories of butter.) Kosher approved.
Easy Serving Ideas

Combine BelGioioso Mascarpone with a sweet liqueur. Place alternating layers of fresh fruit and the Mascarpone mixture into parfait glasses. Serve with a sweet wine or champagne for an elegant dessert.
Mix BelGioioso Mascarpone with pure maple syrup and spread onto piping hot French toast and garnish with fresh berries for an elegant Sunday brunch entrée.
Serve BelGioioso Mascarpone with radishes and a fruity ale beer for an interesting party appetizer.
For a succulent side dish, combine BelGioioso Mascarpone with fresh herbs or vegetables such as basil, spinach, red or yellow peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. Mix with hot pasta or rice and serve.
Mix BelGioioso Mascarpone with BelGioioso CreamyGorg®. Thinly spread mixture onto slices of prosciutto. Roll onto breadsticks, pear or apple slices, or zucchini, cucumber and celery sticks.

Brigante by Pinna is a young sheep’s milk cheese hailing from the beautiful island of Sardinia. Aged for 20-30 days, this delicate, mild cheese is formed in basket weave molds, an ancient technique that has been used by shepherds who made pecorinos by pressing curds directly into woven baskets. Pinna then adds fresh saffron and black peppercorn during the cheesemaking process, resulting in a cheese with a rounded herbal quality and inviting bite. This lovely cheese has a delicate milky aroma and springy interior. Perfect for any cheese board with charcuterie and olives. Enjoy the Brigante with a mild, fruity red or crispy white wine.

A semi-cooked cheese with an intense aroma, flavorsome and a typical product of the Sardinian cheese-making tradition. The rind is smooth, dark-yellow in color, surface-treated with olive oil; the texture is compact, more or less firm depending on the length of maturation, and pale-yellow in color. The unique characteristics of this cheese were officially recognized in 1996, by the award of the “Protected Designation of Origin” label, which has helped safeguard production technique, protecting the original flavor and increasing its presence on the market.

Some may mispronounce this deliciously rich, fresh, Italian cheese as “Mar-sca-pone,” when in fact, the luscious sounding “Mas-car-po-ne” is the amazingly creamy cheese. No matter how it is pronounced, Gelmini Mascarpone has a pale, cream-colored paste and soft, spreadable texture. With a feel that is more akin to clotted cream, Mascarpone is made from cow’s milk and features a light taste with a slight tang and a rich, silky texture. The cream is churned like butter and then drained for a thick, luxurious feel. While Mascarpone is known as the cheese that defines Tiramisù, it actually pre-dates the dessert by approximately 400 years, with its origin said to be set in the 16th century in Lombardi, Italy. Today, Gelmini, located in the Ticino River Valley of Lombardy, uses only the freshest, finest, local cow’s milk to create their incredibly full-bodied cheese.

No cheese case would be complete without Gorgonzola, Italy’s contribution to the big blues of the world. This piccante version, called Mountain Gorgonzola, is a “natural” type of cheese, and matures for 90 days. With its buttery consistency and fervent blue veining, it straddles the line between creamy and crumbly, making it suitable for the table as well as sauces and salads.