ITALIAN CHEESE PAIRINGS

POPULAR CHEESES	HARDNESS	CHARACTERISTICS	ACCOMPANIMENTS
Mascarpone	Soft	Zesty and buttery.  Very creamy. Melts well in sauces. A cow’s milk cheese that must be eaten very fresh. A delicious creamy dessert cheese.	Fresh fruit, biscotti
Asiago	Semi- Soft	Ivory in color.  Rich taste of walnuts and pleasantly salted.	Pear, grapes, apples
Gorgonzola	Semi- Soft	Ivory color with dark blue-green veins.  Full bodied and flavorful. It has a strong flavor from it's compact, creamy texture and is white or straw colored with blue-green flecks and veins	Pear, dried grapes, nuts, with salad or in dips
Mozzarella	Semi- Soft	White milky cheese. Sweet and delicate to the taste. The factory produced mozzarella is semi-soft, elastic texture and is drier and not as delicately flavored as its fresher one. Fresh mozzarella, which is usually packaged in whey or water, is often labeled "Italian style." It's generally made from whole milk and has a much softer texture and a sweet, delicate flavor. Mozzarella di Buffala is the most prized of the fresh mozzarella. Most buffalo mozzarella available in the United States is made from a combination of water buffalo milk and cow's milk.	Extra virgin olive oil, mushrooms, fresh or dried tomatoes
Fontina	Medium	Medium hard, although its flesh is soft and melts easily. Straw colored with a mild delicate flavor. The straw-colored interior with its small round holes has a delicate nuttiness with a hint of mild honey. When melted the flavor is earthy with a taste of mushrooms.	melons, apricots, cherries, apples, pears
Provolone	Medium	As the cheese ripens, the color becomes a richer yellow and the flavor more pronounced. It is an excellent cooking cheese; Aged provolone can be used for grating. This southern Italian cow's milk-cheese has a firm texture and a mild, smoky flavor. It has a golden-brown rind and comes in various forms, though the pear shape is most recognizable	Figs
Parmesan Reggiano	Hard	Very hard and granular.  Strong and spicy with the rich flavor of walnuts. The king of Italian cheese is used primarily for grating. It’s a great topping for soups, pasta dishes, and salads. Serve it in small pieces as an appetizer with a few drops of balsamic.	Pears, red grapes, figs, balsamic
Pecorino Romano	Hard	White, granular with a hard outer layer.  Rich like Parmesan. Has pungent and spicy taste. It ranges in color from white to pale yellow. Good for grating and is used mainly in cooking.	Apples, pears

Cheese Tips:

When a chunk of Parmigiano is reduced to little more than the rind, cooks in Italy don't throw it away. They drop it into hot soups or sauce pots, where it releases its delicious, nutty flavor. Only then, the rind is discarded. You can save Parmigiano rinds in freezer-safe plastic bags in the freezer for up to 2 months. Then drop them into soups or sauces to add a deep and lingering Parmigiano flavoring.