Best Lombard Cow's Milk Cheese Types
Considered to be among the world's top quality cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is made with raw, semi-skimmed milk from cows grazing on fresh grass and hay. It has a hard, gritty texture and its flavors range from nutty to robust and slightly piquant, depending on how long the cheese had matured.
The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano date back to the Middle Ages, when the Benedictine and Cistercian monks reclaimed the Po Valley wetlands and started producing this much-prized cheese. Since it originated and was mainly produced in the two city-states Parma and Reggio Emilia, the cheese was named Parmigiano Reggiano, meaning "a cheese from Parma and Reggio Emilia." The cheese got its name in the 19th century, and the word order is speculated to be purely due to alphabetical order.
Pair with
THE BEST Parmigiano Reggiano Cheeses

Caseificio di Gavasseto e Roncadella
Parmigiano Reggiano Oltre 40 Mesi
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold 2022

Caseificio Sociale Canevaccia
Parmigiano Reggiano Oltre 40 Mesi
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold 2021

Latteria Sociale Moderna
Parmigiano Reggiano Stagionato 30-39 Mesi
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold 2024
First produced in the 11th century by the Cistercian monks of the Santa Maria di Rovegnano Abbey in Chiaravalle Milanese, Grana Padano is known as one of the very few parmesan cheeses that can possibly compete with the far more famous Parmigiano-Reggiano.
This hard cheese is made from unpasteurized, semi-skimmed cow’s milk and it is available in these varieties: Grana Padano, Trentin Grana, and Grana Grattugiato. It is sold at different ripening stages: Grana Padano (9-16 months), Grana Padano Oltre 16 mesi (over 16 months) and Grana Padano Riserva (over 20 months).
VARIATIONS OF Grana Padano
THE BEST Grana Padano Cheeses

Latteria San Pietro
Grana Padano DOP Selezione da Fieno 50 mesi
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold 2024


Consorzio Latterie Virgilio
Grana Padano Riserva MN424 Virgilio Selezione
World Cheese Awards - Gold 2023
Grana Padano Oltre 16 mesi is a version of Grana Padano that's aged from 16 to 20 months. Due to the aging process, its texture gets crumbly, so this version is often used for grating over various dishes. The flavors are more herbal and milky than in the 9-16 months version of the cheese, and it's also got more aciditiy.
This 16-month version also melts well on the palate, with subtle nutty hints. It's recommended to serve this Grana variety with strawberries and pepper.
THE BEST Grana Padano Oltre 16 mesi Cheeses
This mild-flavored cow's milk cheese has a soft and creamy texture, a strong aroma, and a fruity flavor. Its thin rind ranges in color from rosy to orange, and as it ages, it might develop edible mold. Taleggio is made in square blocks and has a pungent aroma that becomes more pronounced as the cheese ages.
Though it can be eaten on its own, due to its delightful melting properties, Taleggio is also used in cooking. Historically linked to the Alpine valley of Val Taleggio, from which it takes its name, Taleggio cheese has been around since Roman times.
THE BEST Taleggio Cheeses


Stracchino di crescenza is an Italian cheese that is typically made with cow's milk, but it can also be made with water buffalo's milk. The texture of stracchino is creamy and buttery, so it's often used as a spread. The flavors are mild, fruity, creamy, and sweet.
Although it is nowadays associated with the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, and Veneto, it was first produced in Lombardy's Po valley. It's recommended to serve stracchino with fresh fruit or cold cuts and pair it with a glass of fruity white wine.
THE BEST Stracchino di Crescenza Cheeses
Gorgonzola dolce is a traditional variety of Gorgonzola cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's left to age for at least 45 days before consumption. Underneath its natural moldy rind, the texture is creamy, with blue veins running throughout the paste.
The aromas are mild and milky, while the flavors are creamy, mild, sweet, and buttery, unlike the Gorgonzola piccante cheese. It's recommended to pair Gorgonzola dolce with Vin Santo or Champagne.
Pair with
THE BEST Gorgonzola dolce Cheeses
Gorgonzola piccante is a traditional variety of Gorgonzola blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. Underneath its natural moldy rind, the texture is crumbly and compact, with blue veins running throughout the paste. The aromas are spicy and pungent, while the flavors are sharp, strong, intense, and creamy, unlike the Gorgonzola dolce version.
This piquant cheese is usually left to age for a minimum of 80 days. It's recommended to pair gorgonzola piccante with rum, port, or mead.
THE BEST Gorgonzola piccante Cheeses
Bagoss is a unique Italian cheese produced in a small village called Bagolino. It is made from the Bruna Alpina cow's milk, and during the curd breaking, saffron is added to the cheese, resulting in typical straw yellow color of the body.
The cheese is aged for at least 12 months, but it can be left to mature for up to 3 years. Its rind is smooth, while the aromas are reminiscent of freshly cut grass. The flavor is savory, slightly spicy, and piquant. Bagoss should always be consumed at room temperature so that the hints of chestnuts and walnuts can be fully experienced and appreciated.
The origins of Provolone Valpadana date back to the early 1800s and the Unification of Italy, when people from the South started migrating towards the Po Valley and brought the tradition of dairy cattle farming and the technique for stretched-curd cheese production with them.
Provolone Valpadana is nowadays produced all across Northern Italy; it is made with whole cow's milk and available in two varieties, Dolce (sweet) and Piccante (piquant), both of which can be Affumicato (smoked). Aged for 2-3 months, Provolone Dolce has a delicate flavor and goes well with young, fruity wines, while Provolone Piccante is matured for at least 4 months and paired with aged, red wines, since it has a much sharper, tangy flavor.
Pair with
THE BEST Provolone Valpadana Cheeses
First produced in 879 CE in Gorgonzola, a Lombardian town settled just outside of Milan, this type of blue cheese is made with cow's milk and distinguished by green or blue marbling of mold. To induce blue veining, the milk is inoculated with penicillin spores.
Depending on its age, this Italian cheese is available in two varieties. Matured for about two months, Gorgonzola Dolce is quite soft, creamy and has a mild flavor with notes of butter, sour cream, and a less pronounced lactic tang, whereas Gorgonzola Piccante is a firmer, more crumbly version and must be aged for at least three months to develop its strong, pungent flavor.
Pair with
VARIATIONS OF Gorgonzola
THE BEST Gorgonzola Cheeses


Caves of Faribault
Amagorg Gorgonzola
American Cheese Society Judging & Competition Awards - 1st Place 2018
Best Lombard Cow's Milk Cheese Producers
AWARDS

World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2021

World Cheese Awards - Gold
2024, 2022, 2021

Italian Cheese Awards - Nominee
2020
BEST Arrigoni Battista Cheeses
Best Lombard Cow's Milk Cheeses
Stracchino by Arrigoni Battista is a soft, creamy cheese made from cow's milk, originating from the Lombardy region of Italy. Known for its delicate flavor and smooth texture, this cheese has a mild and slightly tangy taste, making it a versatile addition to various dishes.
Stracchino is typically enjoyed fresh, often paired with bread, salads, or used in cooking to enhance pasta and risotto.
AWARDS

World Cheese Awards - Gold
2022
AWARDS

World Cheese Awards - Gold
2024
AWARDS

World Cheese Awards - Gold
2024
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 29 Lombard Cow's Milk Cheeses” list until February 28, 2025, 4,232 ratings were recorded, of which 3,236 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.