What is Interesting to Know About Italian Cheese Taleggio?
Taleggio is a cheese that, on the one hand, remains little known to a wide audience, and on the other hand, it is not so rare: it is produced on a fairly large scale and is sold in many Italian stores. Not everyone will like Taleggio: it has a very bright and piquant bouquet typical for many kinds of cheese with a washed crust – and practice shows that such cheeses either like it or not, neutral attitude towards them is rare. Keep reading to know what is so special about it and how to consume it.
History of Taleggio
Taleggio, like many other Italian kinds of cheese, has a long history. There is a version that was made in the days of Ancient Rome – supposedly the first written mentions of Taleggio date back to that era, and such famous Romans as Pliny the Elder, Cicero and Cato the Elder wrote about it.
However, on the official website of the consortium of Taleggio producers, there is no mention of the ancient Roman era, but there is only evidence that the history of the cheese began before the 10th century AD, and the first mentions of this cheese in trade documents date back to the 13th century.
Taleggio got its name from the name of the valley where it was produced until the end of the 19th century – Val Taleggio. This valley is located not far from Bergamo. At the end of the 19th century, the production area of Taleggio was significantly expanded. Today, this cheese is made in many regions of Lombardy, as well as near the cities of Treviso and Novara.
Cheese ripening time
The aging period for Taleggio can be from 35 to 80 days. Of course, once this cheese was made exclusively from raw milk, but now pasteurized milk is also used. During the aging process, once a week, the cheese is washed with a special solution. You can also eat the Taleggio crust.
The cheese has a dry matter fat content of 45-48%. Fat content – 25-27%. Energy value – 290-340 kcal per 100 grams. The composition contains only three ingredients: whole cow’s milk (raw or pasteurized), salt, milk-clotting enzyme.
The taste
This cheese has a rather strong and vibrant character. Taleggio has a pleasant consistency: tender, soft, elastic, somewhat reminiscent of the consistency of very good processed cheese. The crust is rather thin, reddish or brownish, irregular in colour.
The aroma is quite strong, but not flashy, expressive, with notes of village, meadow, fresh hay, milk, yogurt. The taste is bright, full-bodied, spicy, and with notes of cream and sour milk. The aftertaste is intense, rather long. The salinity is moderate.
How to serve it?
Taleggio must be removed from the fridge half an hour or an hour before serving – without opening the package, of course. Cut it into fairly thick chunks without trying to make them perfectly even. This cheese is pleasant to eat neat or with fresh bread – especially if it is white bread with a crispy crust. Sometimes Taleggio is added to risotto, gnocchi, and other hot dishes, as well as to baked goods.
As an accompaniment, you can use salads, fruit jam, fruits (grapes, pears), some white wines (dry and semi-dry), including sparkling ones. To find this beautiful cheese visit the Pong Cheese website.
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