Taleggio is a soft cheese from Lombardy, Italy, made from cow’s milk and aged for 6-10 weeks on wooden planks in caves. It has a pungent aroma and is high in fat. It pairs well with Italian wines and is used in various dishes. The cheese is named after the Val Taleggio, where it is produced. Variations in preparation include using wax instead of a seawater sponge to encourage mold growth.
Taleggio is a mild cheese that comes from the Lombardy region of Italy and has a deceptively pungent and spicy aroma. Also known as Stracchino di Milano or stracchino, this cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a thin, salty crust. Traditionally, taleggio is aged on wooden planks in caves for six to ten weeks. To encourage mold growth and prevent discoloration of the cheese, it is washed weekly with a seawater sponge.
The traditional taleggio is produced with whole raw cow’s milk. Taleggio cheese made with raw milk is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and cannot be imported into the United States. The modern taleggio is produced with pasteurized milk in the factory and aged in the cellar. This process gives a brighter color to the finished product. Other ingredients, such as spices, nuts, and raisins, are sometimes used to add flavor and texture to the cheese. It has an extremely high fat content approaching 50 percent.
Taleggio is widely regarded as one of the oldest soft cheeses in the world and dates back to before the 10th century AD. The cheese melts smoothly and easily and has been commonly referred to as salty, fruity, soft, creamy, and even smelly. It has a washed skin with an orange-red color and becomes softer the longer it ages. Its flavor and color also deepen as it ages. Once the cheese is cut, the aging process will cease.
Wines that pair well with Taleggio include Italian Nebbiolo wines, Merlots, Rieslings, and Sauternes. Other appropriate wine pairings are Barolo, Soave, Chianti Riserva or Barbaresco. Many people enjoy it spread on crusty Italian bread, paired with fruit, or melted over pasta. It can also be used in salads, bruschetta, polenta and risotto.
The name taleggio comes from the Val Taleggio – an alpine valley in the Italian region of Lombardy. Val Taleggio is shared between the provinces of Bergamo and Lecco. It is known for its cow’s milk cheeses, such as taleggio.
There are variations in the preparation of taleggio. When the crust is covered in mold, patches of green or gray mold may be visible on it. These mold spots are commonly referred to as bloom. Instead of encouraging mold to grow on the rind by scrubbing it with a seawater sponge, the cheese can be covered in wax. The most common shapes for this cheese are rectangles and squares.
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