Stracchino, Crescenza and Robiola

At one time the group of cheeses known as stracchino - which includes Gorgonzola - was made almost exclusively from the milk of cows fed on hay in wintertime when they had come down from their alpine pastures. Stracchino, for example, takes its name from the word ‘stracchi’ which in the dialects of Piedmont and Lombardy means ‘tired’ - perhaps indicating how the cows felt after the long journey back down to the valleys. A defining characteristic of stracchino cheeses is that they are made from still warm milk, which includes some of the milk from the day before. In parts of northern Italy, robiola, for instance, can be made from sheep’s and goats’ milk as well as cows’. Originally the cheeses were made in winter when the cold conditions enabled them to be stored for a while. Nowadays, of course, this is not a problem and they are available the whole year round. They are very soft rindless cheeses and are sold in specially wrapped portions ranging from 115g (4 oz) or more to 2-4kg (4½-9 lb) in weight. Their flavour is deliciously fresh and sweet with a slight hint of sharpness. These typical dessert cheeses reach maturity in ten days, and can be spread on bread or biscuits, but have few uses in cooking.