WHAT IS GORGONZOLA?

It is a cow’s milk cheese with the blue-green marbling inherent to blue cheese.  Dating back to the 9th century, this traditional P.D.O. comes in two types – Dolce (younger) and Piccante (older).  The latter is also known as “Mountain Gorgonzola” though I personally think farmers were just trying to make the cheese sound cooler with this nickname.   Despite its’ rich flavor, this formaggio (cheese) has a fat content under 35%.  Gorgonzola is a bit crumblier and more salty then other blues.  It has a more pronounced flavor then a Danish Blue for example.

TO BUY GORGONZOLA DOLCE CLICK HERE!

OR GORGONZOLA PICCANTE CLICK HERE!

WHERE IS GORGONZOLA MADE?

This is a northern Italian cheese with most of the traditional production being centered around Lombardy and Piedmont.  Supposedly the cheese was named after the town of its’ birth (now a suburb of Milan).  However industrially it’s made all over the world.

IS GORDON RAMSEY INSANE?

T.V. antics aside, it is easy to forget that Chef Ramsey is a very accomplished chef who just says in English what most chefs in France say on a daily basis.  “C’est tout sauf bien” is a phrase I heard describing my own cooking more then once in Paris.  Check out his great take on a classic Italian recipe!  Only area I’d quibble on is with the use of truffle oil.  I’m not a big fan, and would suggest a simple truffle salsa instead.

WHAT CAN I PAIR WITH GORGONZOLA?

Be careful, mild white wines will just got lost in the powerful flavor of this cheese.  Dolce is the milder of the two cheeses so you can get away with a white there.  But with the Picante look to reds like a Bordeaux, Cabernet’s or even a Chilean Carménère.  Like with all blues sweet, fortified wines or even honey will work as well.  While it might be blasphemy, I tend to pair wines with Gorgonzola that I’d pair with a nice steak covered in a good spice rub.  For Italian cheese flights, go with other classics like Parmesan Reggiano and a nice Pecorino.  If you want something more international, look to a 12 month Manchego and a Humboldt Fog.