About Italian Cheeseaholic

About – Italian Cheeseaholic

The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

G. K. Chesterton

About – Italian Cheeseaholic

About Me My name is Aidan. I was born in East London and grew up in Romford, a small town in the Northeast suburbs of London. After nishing secondary school, I studied Chemistry at UCL in London. My intentions were to study as well as I could and then get a job working at the University. However, God’s plans were di erent! I felt like He was calling me to go and live and work abroad. I applied to IFES, an organization involved in student ministry, and was accepted. After spending some time in Austria, I realised that it was my calling to get involved in the Romanian speaking world and so I have now spent quite a bit of time living and working in rst Romania and currently Moldova.

When I was growing up, I was always very health conscientious. I played a lot of sport and faithfully went for a run around the local park every Saturday and Sunday morning. Alongside this, I did my best to avoid junk food and eat as healthily as I could. I guess this is where my passion and interest in Italian food came from. It seemed like the cuisine with the perfect combination of being both tasty and healthy at the same time! I particularly enjoyed Saturday lunchtimes, where we always ate in our family pizza with vegetables. On the occasions when I had the chance, I tried doing my own pasta dishes, although never more than using prepared sauces (or sometimes, I have to admit, entirely prepared meals!). The best, though, was Tuesday evenings, where sometimes we would get to eat spaghetti bolognese with Parmesan cheese!

There’s more than just Parmesan Having lived and worked abroad for a number of years now, I have had to adapt my diet to the di erent food styles of the places that I have been in. More so, I have had to do my own cooking a lot. A shining light in this culinary darkness has always been Italian food. It seems like where ever I am there’s invariably an Italian restaurant not too far away or an Italian food section at the local supermarket. As a result, I have become accustomed to eating loads of pasta, not to mention quite a bit of pizza. However, contrary to how the saying goes, at times it does seem like you can have too much of a good thing. This is where, though, the plethora of Italian cheese varieties can come to your aid.

Growing up, I was aware of just Parmesan, mozzarella and Gorgonzola, but actually, these are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the huge variety of Italian cheeses. It’s estimated that there are over 450 varieties. This means then that there’s a lot of room for giving new life to your Italian dishes by trying out di erent cheeses. Not only that but by venturing into the world of Italian cheeses. We can nd a number of delights to spice up any meal!

Hard Italian Cheeses The vast array of Italian cheeses might seem daunting at rst, but I aim to make the hardness of it all much easier. In this website, I hope to be able to present information in an as accessible as possible way. Everything from history, production, varieties to interesting facts. When I was growing up, I invested a lot of time in watching Italian football, but haven’t got much to show for it, except for a good knowledge of nineties Italian footballers plus a bit of Italian geography! Hopefully, though, you will agree that time invested in this website, will be well spent!

There are some adverts and links on my site. This is not an attempt to get rich, but rather my thinking is that if I could earn some money via it, I would then invest it in helping people and the ministry in Moldova that I am involved in. We will see what God’s plan will be!

All the best, Aidan Benbow http://italiancheeseaholic.com/

About – Italian Cheeseaholic

English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic

Mozzarella is undoubtedly one of the most famous Italian cheeses. There can’t be many people who are unfamiliar with the sight of glistening white balls of it or at least the taste of it on pizzas or in salads. However, you’ve probably never stopped to think about where it comes from or how it’s made. When we think about the origin of cheese, I guess cows, sheep or possibly goats come to mind, but did you know that authentic Italian mozzarella is actually made from bu alo milk? This Italian bu alo mozzarella (otherwise known as ‘Mozzarella di latte di bufala’) is notoriously hard to reproduce due to the ideal conditions and many years of experience in Italy, but one English farm is having a go at producing English bu alo mozzarella.

The Advantages of Buffalo’s Milk Something that you’ve probably never really thought about, but is nonetheless still true, is the fact that bu aloes produce milk. Logical really seeing as this is what mammals do. Bu aloes’ milk is richer than cows’ milk as it contains more solids, meaning that it has higher levels of protein, fats, and minerals. This, in turn, makes the milk good for processing into products such as cheese.

It is unclear historically how bu alo came to be living in Italy, but what is for sure is that today the bu alo population there is large (for example in 2013 it was reported as 402,659). As a result, Italy is one of the world’s largest producers of bu alo milk. One of the many dairy products that is produced from this bu alo milk is mozzarella. Mozzarella can also be produced of course from other types of milk, but due to the fact that bu aloes’ milk is thicker and creamier, more cheese can be produced from less milk thus making it more economical, not to mention producing a cheese with higher nutritional properties.

About – Italian Cheeseaholic

English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic

The Process of Producing Mozzarella The production of mozzarella is a fairly simple process compared to other cheeses as mozzarella is usually eaten fresh and so there is no need for a long or complicated maturation period. There are a number of other cheeses whose production in the early stages is very similar to mozzarella, but then the method diversi es along the way to produce di erent results. With regard to mozzarella, there are probably various ways and special techniques used to produce it, but all using the same basic process.

The bu alo milk is rst warmed together with whey left over from the preceding batch of mozzarella that has been made. This whey helps to increase the number of bacteria in the milk. Rennet, a complex of enzymes that helps milk coagulate, is then added. The result of all this is that in time the curds in the milk separate from the whey.

Next, the whey is drained o and the curds are cut and stirred and then left until the pH reaches between 5.2 and 5.5. At this pH, the curds have formed together in such a way as to make it possible for them to be easily manipulated by hand.

The following stage is for the curds (which are by now cheese like) to be immersed in hot water (or whey). Usually, before this, they are cut into balls. They are left until they oat, a sign that most of the liquid has drained out of them.

Finally, these balls need to be kneaded by machine or hand until they reach the right texture. They are then cut and shaped as desired to produce the nal mozzarella. Often it is placed in brine to preserve it, but in any case, it is best consumed fresh, either on the day of production or in the next few days.

This whole process is called, ‘Pasta Filata’ (Italian for ‘spun paste’) and as already mentioned is also used in the manufacture of other Italian cheeses. The cutting of curds used in the production method is also the origin of the name mozzarella as ‘mozza’ means ‘to cut’ and ‘rella’ is an ending that gives the sense of making something smaller. In other words, mozzarella is a little cut o the whole batch of cheese!

English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic

English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic

It’s not just about Buffalo The process for producing mozzarella can, of course, be applied to any sort of milk. Outside of Italy bu aloes’ milk is not necessarily so easily available, not to mention the fact that it’s not just any type of bu alo milk that is used, but speci cally water bu aloes’ milk. As a result, a lot of mozzarella is made using cows’ milk, producing a cheese which is called in Italian, “Fior di latte”.

There are also regions of Italy where mozzarella is made using sheep’s milk and sometimes called, “mozzarellapecorella”. More recently, some mozzarella has been produced using goat’s milk in order to o er an alternative for those who have problems digesting cows’ milk.

A few other terms that are good to know are ‘mozzarella a umicata’ which is mozzarella that has been smoked. Bocconcini are small balls of mozzarella and burrata, which is a ball of mozzarella with a cream lling.

Buffalo Mozzarella English style Although bu alo mozzarella is very much an Italian specialty, others have given ago to producing their own versions. One such attempt can be found at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire, England. Here the owners have invested a lot in visiting Italy to learn some of the secrets of this renowned cheese and then setting up their own production of English bu alo mozzarella.

The avor, as well as the look of mozzarella, can be in uenced by the diet of the animal from which the milk came from. At Laverstoke, they have been feeding their bu aloes on a special diet of a mixture of 31 herbs, grasses and clovers thus trying to instill in their English bu alo mozzarella a distinctive taste. Who knows, maybe one day it will rival the Italian variety for the crown of best mozzarella in the world.

The Fresh Prince of cheeses Mozzarella is most certainly a popular cheese and not without good reason. There is a simplicity, yet elegance to its production. The nished product is best consumed as soon as possible adding a light, fresh taste to a host of di erent dishes. It can even be enjoyed just like in Italy, sliced and eaten on its own. No matter what type of mozzarella you go for, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by this simple, but versatile cheese.

English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Even to those of us who aren’t fans of Italian food, the names of Italian Cheeses (at least a few of them!) are probably familiar. Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan are famous Italian cheeses, known by many people throughout the world. However, these three are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Italian cheeses. Italy is the fourth largest cheese producing country in the world and there are estimates that Italy actually has over 450 varieties of cheese.

In this article, we will see very brie y the origins of cheese production in Italy followed by some examples of Italian cheeses belonging to di erent categories of cheese.

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Where it all began Nobody actually knows where or when cheese production began. Milk was almost certainly consumed many thousands of years ago, ever since humans started domesticating animals. In the Biblical book of Genesis, for example, Abel, one of the rst humans to have ever lived, is reported to have o ered some of his ock as sacri ces to God. Basic cheese is made by curdling milk using enzymes from animals’ stomachs. Animals’ stomachs themselves were used as storage and transportation containers for animal products. So more than likely, at some point in history people realized that milk being contained in animals’ stomachs was starting to turn into cheese.

Over time cheese production developed. People began to devise methods to extract rennet (the enzyme-containing substance in animal stomachs that curdles milk) and use it to make cheese. Gradually, di erent types of cheese were produced using variations on the basic method. As time went by people also discovered that by allowing the cheese to mature in di erent ways, also resulted in di erent types of cheese.

In any case, there are di erent ideas and claims about the origin and early development of cheese, but one thing is for sure, that by the time of the Roman Empire, cheese making was a well-spread art!

Roman Cheese Spread Obviously, due to its size and high level of civilization the Roman Empire had many lasting e ects on human society. Cheese was a popular food during Roman times and as a result, its consumption spread to many places, which had been conquered by the Romans and where previously cheese making was not so well-developed.

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic More so than this, cheese being a popular Roman food led to the discovery throughout Italy of many techniques that could be used to produce all sorts of di erent cheeses. Over the centuries these cheese making processes have been re ned and added to, resulting in the modern-day diversity of types of cheeses available in Italy.

It’s all in a name Classi cation of cheeses is a di cult business. One method used is based on the rmness of the cheese. In this case, soft cheeses refers to those that haven’t undergone a maturing process. The most famous example of this in terms of Italian cheese is mozzarella. This cheese is literally the product of the basic cheese making process and this is re ected in its name, which means ‘little cut’, as in a little cut o the curdled milk.

A variation on mozzarella is burrata. This is another Italian soft cheese, made in exactly the same way as mozzarella, except that it is lled with butter or cream. This then explains the name as in Italian burrata means ‘buttered’.

A nal cheese worth mentioning in this category is Bocconcini. This cheese is in essence simply small balls of mozzarella. In Italian, its name simply means ‘small mouthfuls’.

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Moving on up the scale The problem with the rmness scale as a measure for categorizing cheese is that rmness is a very subjective quality. There’s an obvious di erence between something that is soft and hard. But in between, it’s hard to say if something is harder or softer. This in preciseness means that it is debatable where di erent cheeses go in the classi cation and di erent terms such as semi-soft, medium-hard, semi-hard are employed.

In any case, a cheese which is most certainly harder than mozzarella, but not hard compared to some other cheeses, is Gorgonzola. It is an Italian blue cheese, which means that it is matured in such a way as to allow mold to develop, thus giving the cheese a blue element to its color and a very distinctive avor. The name Gorgonzola comes from a town near Milan, which claims to be the origin of this cheese.

Finally, we reach the hard cheese category, the king of which is Parmigiano-Reggiano. Quite possible you have never heard of this cheese, but actually, you probably have, just under a di erent name. Parmigiano-Reggiano is the true name for Parmesan cheese. In fact, according to European Law, the name Parmesan can only be used to describe Parmigiano-Reggiano, whereas in other parts of the world Parmesan is often the name for various di erent cheese that are approximations of Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is a very hard cheese, so much so that although it can be eaten on its own, it is usually added to pasta, soups or salads by grating. It has a strong avor, so is a seasoning for these other foods. The name refers to Parma and Reggio Emilia, which are the two main areas of Italy in which it is produced.

Only the beginning In this article, we have seen a little about the origins of cheese in Italy and we have very brie y become acquainted with a few of the most famous names in Italian cheese. There really are many more Italian cheeses, which we can discuss on another occasion. Just to mention a few in passing to whet your appetite before we close though: Asiago, a semi-hard cheese, which is good for grating in its aged form and in sandwiches when fresh.

Caciocavallo is a medium-soft cheese produced in a manner similar to mozzarella except that the cheese is formed into balls and tied in twos after production. These pairs are then hung to dry and mature. This is possibly the origin of the name which translates as “horse cheese”, as the cheeses are saddled up and left to age. The cheese itself has a sharp taste.

Provolone is another cheese produced using the same method as mozzarella, except that the nal product is semi-hard due to the cheese being left to age. For provolone dolce (sweet provolone) the aging process is two to three months and for provolone piccante (sharp or spicy provolone) the process is at least four months. This cheese has a claim to fame as it is the cheese used in the USA in Philadelphia Cheesesteak sandwiches.

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic

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Names of Italian Cheeses – A Linguistic Feast! – Italian Cheeseaholic