![]() After a 35-day aging period, the soft yet solid cheese offers mild, tangy, fruity flavors with a subtle aftertaste of truffles. At the final stages of the production process, Taleggio is salted or washed in brine, forming the rind and the cheese’s trademark pungent aromas. Today, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Como, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Monza-Brianza, and Pavia can all produce this washed-rind cheese under the DOP regulations. Taleggio is a cow’s milk cheese traditionally aged in the mountain caves of Val Taleggio. In Lombardy, Gorgonzola DOP cheese can be produced in the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, and Varese. Different versions of Gorgonzola are made today, including a milder, sweeter Gorgonzola Dolce and a more piquant Gorgonzola Piccante. Gorgonzola is a creamy, soft white cheese characterized by streaks of blue-green mold, which contribute a spicy, tangy flavor. ![]() ![]() However, others believe the cheese originated in Pasturo Nella Valsassina, where natural caves offer consistent 6°-12☌ temperatures ideal for cheesemaking. Gorgonzola is one of the world’s oldest cheeses, reportedly first made in 879 A.D. The Slow Food Presidium recognizes several for their artisanal nature. In addition to making Grana Padano, one of the most famous Italian cheeses in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Mantua, Cremona, Lodi, and Pavia, Lombardy has countless other regional cheeses worth exploring. Heading south towards the fertile Po River Valley, a wider range of unique Lombardian cheeses abound. The region’s nutrient-rich alpine pastures in the north and near the northeastern lakes produce various flavorful mountain cheeses. Lombardy is celebrated for its cheeses, boasting several DOP and IGP-protected examples. Join Cellar Tours on a private Lake Garda Food & Wine Tour in Northern Italy designed for food and wine lovers looking for a relaxing and uplifting few days in the beautiful Lake Garda, the southernmost Italian Alpine lake. Produced near Lake Garda at the most northern latitude in the world for olive cultivation, Garda DOP oils are made with Casaliva, Frantoio, and Leccino varieties. Garda DOP olive oils are some of Italy’s finest known for their ripe, green, fruity flavor despite the region’s affinity for butter. While rice is the Lombardian carbohydrate of choice, stuffed pasta abounds in Brescia, Bergamo, and Mantua. Though Lombardian cuisine is centered around meat and dairy, freshwater fish, such as perch, pike, freshwater sardines, missoltini, and carpione, are also savored thanks to the region’s lakes. In comparison, the Alpine foothills are afforded to vines, fruit, olives, and grazing lands for livestock. At the same time, the higher plains near the region’s center cultivate more fruits, vegetables, and cereals. On the fertile plains of the Po River Valley, agriculture centers mainly around rice, corn, wheat, sugar beets, and grazing feed for the region’s multitude of beef and dairy cattle. Home to sixty Michelin-starred restaurants, this Italian region is ideal for those who enjoy eating out. Therefore, Lombardian cuisine frequently features aged cheeses, premium cuts of meat, and flavorful spices. More northerly zones also utilize buckwheat for regional specialty pasta.Īs one of Italy’s leaders in industry and agriculture, Lombardy has always been a wealthier region. Polenta makes frequent appearances in Lombardian kitchens and is often enriched with butter and cream. In addition, much of the land in the Po River Valley is used to cultivate rice, a very common ingredient in local and Italian cuisine. Thus, Lombardian cuisine is bolder and heartier than more southerly Italian dishes consisting of staples like meat, butter, polenta, and rice. As a northern Italian region with Alpine influences, temperatures are decidedly cooler. Lombardy’s varied geography largely influences the region’s culinary traditions. The Lombardy region offers an abundance of experiences for every traveler, especially for foodies looking for a distinctive regional cuisine. Plus, the city of Milan, world-renowned as a center for art, fashion, finance, and more, is the region’s capital. Lombardy also encompasses several of Italy’s well-known lakes, including Lake Garda, Lake Como, and Lake Maggiore. ![]() Historically, this central area of the Po River Valley was the center of trade between the Mediterranean and Alpine lands. Geographically, the spectacular Lombardian landscape consists of three zones: a mountainous Alpine and a pre-Alpine zone in the northern territory near Switzerland heading south, the Alpine foothills become more moderately undulating until the southern zone where alluvial plains meet the Po River. Switzerland borders Lombardy to the north, followed by the Veneto and Trentino Alto-Adige to the east, Emilia-Romagna to the south, and Piedmont to the west. Lombardy is a geographically and culinarily diverse landlocked region in northern Italy. ![]()
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