I Formaggi Cheeses

The cheeses are brought to the table after il secondo, hopefully when there is a little red wine left. All sorts of cheeses are made in Italy with many regional variations. There are the famous hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, the true Parmesan from Parma, and the more rustic pecorino, both of which are excellent eaten with fruit such as pears. Gorgonzola, the wonderful creamy blue cheese, is Lombardian and made with cows’ milk. Stracchino is very soft and mild, while fontina from the Aosta valley is semi-soft and is used for fonduta, the Italian version of the Swiss fondue.