Gorgonzola is a soft, creamy Italian blue cheese that is a member of the Stracchino family of cheeses. Gorgonzola originated in the town of the same name near Milan, Italy in the 8th century. Prior to being called Gorgonzola, the cheese was generically called "green stracchino". By 1970, a Consortium for the protection of Gorgonzola cheese was created in order to protect and oversee the production of Gorgonzola. In 1996, Gorgonzola was granted PDO (Designation of Protected Origin) status, which governs how and where Gorgonzola is produced in either the Piedmont or Lombardy regions of Italy.
Aged approximately three to four months, Gorgonzola Cheese is white to straw-yellow in color with distinctive blue-green mold veining. During the aging process, metal rods are inserted and removed, creating air channels that allow mold to grow and create Gorgonzola's characteristic streaky blue-green veins.
When Gorgonzola Cheese is young, it is sweet and mild, and as it ages its flavor intensifies and becomes sharper. Gorgonzola has a strikingly creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Gorgonzola has many uses; it makes an excellent table cheese, and may be enjoyed in soups, salads, main dishes, sauces, salad dressings or added to risotto or polenta. Gorgonzola Cheese is also enjoyed for dessert and is delicious when drizzled with honey and paired with fruits such as apples, grapes or pears.
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