Bel Paese

Bel Paese one of the best-known Italian cheeses, was not made until the 20th century. In his survey of 451 Italian cheeses, Di Corato (1977) dates it precisely to 1906, at Melzo in the north of Italy, and gives credit for its invention to Egidio Galbani. The name was not bestowed in allusion to the beauty of the northern Italian landscape, as some authors have it, but was taken from the title of a book, well known at the time, by the Abbot Stoppani.

The inspiration for Bel Paese was French. The process by which it is made closely resembles that used to produce port salut and Saint-Paulin: whole milk, and surface-ripening for a relatively short time. Like the French cheeses, Bel Paese has a semi-soft but elastic texture, with a flavour which is mild when the cheese is young and more pronounced after it has been kept for a while. It is sold in small wheel shapes, weighing about 2 kg (4.5 lb) and with a characteristic wrapping which features the head of the Abbot Stoppini and a map of Italy. (The Bel Paese made in the USA has what seems to be the same wrapping, but inspection reveals that the map on it is of the Americas.)