Gorgonzola

What Is Gorgonzola?

Gorgonzola is a cow's milk cheese from northern Italy, with blue-green mold veins running through it. The Penicillium mold added to the cheese creates these veins and the cheese's sharp, spicy taste during ripening.

It has two main types: the softer and sweeter "gorgonzola dolce" and the firmer, sharper, and more mature "gorgonzola piccante". Along with Roquefort, it's one of the world's best-known blue mold cheeses.

Nutritional Values of Gorgonzola

Like other blue mold cheeses, gorgonzola contains approximately 350 kcal of energy per 100 grams, high protein, noticeable fat, and high calcium. Its salt (sodium) content is high; values are given approximately from a similar blue mold cheese profile.

What Are the Benefits of Gorgonzola?

With its calcium, protein, and vitamin B12 content, gorgonzola can be considered part of a balanced diet. Since its salt and fat ratio is high, moderate consumption is recommended.

This information is general; gorgonzola is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.

How to Choose Gorgonzola?

Quality gorgonzola is cheese with a cream-ivory colored body, evenly distributed blue-green mold veins, and a sharp but not overly moldy-stale smell. Overly browned or ammonia-smelling samples have gone past their prime.

• Body should be cream-ivory colored, mold veins should be blue-green
• Texture should be creamy in dolce, more crumbly in piccante
• Odor should be sharp but not ammonia-like or stale

How to Store Gorgonzola?

Gorgonzola is stored in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped in aluminum foil or wax paper; blue mold cheese needs to breathe and shouldn't be suffocated in an airtight bag. The cut surface should be protected with paper.

Using Gorgonzola in the Kitchen

Gorgonzola is most often used in creamy pasta and risotto sauces, on pizza, in salads, and on cheese boards. When melted with heat, it gives sauces a sharp, creamy depth.

How to Make Gorgonzola Sauce?

Cream is heated and crumbled gorgonzola is added and melted while stirring; the thickened sauce is poured over pasta or meat. Since the cheese is salty, extra salt should be added with care.

Where Is Gorgonzola Used?

Creamy sauces, four-cheese pizza and pasta, pear-walnut salads, and cheese boards with honey are its most common uses.

Which Recipes Use Gorgonzola?

Pasta with gorgonzola, four-cheese pizza, steak with gorgonzola sauce, and a pear-cheese board are its best-known uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gorgonzola's mold edible?

Yes; the blue-green veins in the cheese are an edible mold intentionally added during cheesemaking, and they create the cheese's flavor.

What is the difference between gorgonzola and roquefort?

Both are blue mold cheeses; gorgonzola is Italian, made from cow's milk and generally creamier, while roquefort is French, made from sheep's milk, and is a sharper, more crumbly cheese.

What are gorgonzola dolce and piccante?

Dolce is younger, softer, and sweeter; piccante is aged longer and is firmer with a sharper taste. Dolce is often preferred for sauces, piccante for cheese boards.

Is gorgonzola suitable during pregnancy?

It's generally recommended to be cautious about soft and moldy cheeses during pregnancy; in this case, consulting a health professional is the best approach.

What pairs well with gorgonzola?

It pairs very well with pear, walnut, honey, fig, and raisins; the sweet-sharp contrast balances the cheese's flavor.