Best Italian Semi-soft Cheese Types
Back in the 15th century, when Pecorino production used to begin in spring, this Tuscan delicacy was called Cacio Marzolino, meaning March cheese. Nowadays, Pecorino Toscano is also produced in Lazio and Umbria, Tuscany's neighboring regions, and available year-round as either Fresco (fresh) or Stagionato (matured for at least 4 months).
This soft to semi-hard cheese is made with whole milk from sheep feasting on pastures nestled between the Apennines and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Compared to other varieties of Pecorino cheese, Toscano is only briefly salted and thus retains its delicate, sweet flavor.
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
Bocconcini is an Italian cheese originating from Campania. It is a mozzarella-type cheese that is roughly the size of an egg, made with water buffalo's milk or a combination of buffalo's and cow's milk. These rindless small balls are semi-soft, creamy, elastic and springy in texture, while the flavors are mild, buttery, and slightly sweet.
The name bocconcini means little bites in Italian, referring to the shape and form of the cheese. It is recommended to consume it fresh or use it on pizzas or vegetable-based dishes. Pair it with white wines.
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
Scamorza is an Italian pasta filata cheese made with cow's milk. The cheese is shaped into two connected balls, one smaller than the other. Its texture is semi-soft, firm, and chewy, while the flavors are milky and smoky. These two balls of cheese are strung to ripen for 2 weeks, and the process gives the cheese its name, meaning beheaded.
Scamorza can also be smoked, and it is then called scamorza affumicata. Often compared to mozzarella, Scamorza has a flavor that is more creamy and sweet than that of mozzarella, and it is also much drier. It is recommended to bake it as it melts well, or it can be used on top of pizza or lasagne.
Pair with
THE BEST Scamorza Cheeses
Fiscalini Cheese Company
Scamorza
American Cheese Society Judging & Competition Awards - 1st Place 2011
Produced in the Aosta Valley since the 1100s, Fontina is a semi-cooked cheese traditionally made with raw cow's milk of the Valdostana Pezzata Rossa cattle breed. Depending on the length of maturation, the texture of Fontina can vary from semi-soft to firm, while the flavor ranges from mild, sweet, and nutty to robust and quite tangy.
This delicious cheese is typically used to make the Valdostana style fondue but it can also be enjoyed in other traditional Aosta Valley dishes such as Valpelline Soup with Lardo d'Arnad or Costolette alla Valdostana, and pairs well with light, fruity wines.
Caciotta refers to a range of rural Italian cheeses from central Italy. They're made from cow's, ewe's, goat's, buffalo's milk, or any combination of those. The cheese has a thin rind which hides a creamy, smooth, and semi-soft texture beneath it.
The flavors are mild, sweet, milky, and slightly tangy, while the aromas are slightly sour and lactic. Caciotta is aged for a short while, under 2 months. It's recommended to pair the cheese with Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc, and serve it with vegetables, fruit, pasta, or in salads.
Bel Paese is an Italian cheese originating from Lombardy. The cheese is made from cow's milk and has a pale yellow color. Its aroma is pleasant and milky, while the flavors are mild, buttery, and slightly sweet, often compared with mozzarella.
Bel Paese matures from 6 to 8 weeks, and it is then consumed, usually sliced and served with fruits such as pears, figs, and apples. It melts well, so it's also often used on pizza or in casseroles. The authentic Bel Paese can be easily identified by a map of Italy and a picture of Antonio Stoppani depicted on the label (in America, there is a map of the USA on the label).
Pair with
Fontal is an Italian industrially-produced semi-soft cow's milk cheese that's made throughout Northern Italy. The cheese is a combination of two cheeses – Fontina and Emmental, hence the name. It has a reddish-brown rind that hides a smooth, dense, and slightly elastic texture of the paste.
Fontal ages from 45 to 60 days. It's very aromatic and the flavors are milky, mild, and buttery, with hints of almonds. The cheese melts exceptionally well, so it's recommended to use it in fondues or grill it with wild mushrooms. Drink pairings include Terre d'Agata di Salaparuta and Pignolo di Filiputti.
Known as the sheep version of Mozzarella, this Sicilian delicacy might quite possibly be the only ovine spun cheese in the world. Vastedda cheese is produced in the provinces of Agrigento, Trapani and Palermo in the Belìce Valley, where the climate is very different than in other parts of Sicily, influenced with lower temperatures, rainfalls and the south-eastern and northern winds Scirocco and Tramontana.
The milk for the production of Vastedda must come from one or two successive milkings, and the processing must be done within 48 hours. Vastedda della Valle del Belìce has a fat content of not less than 35% and a characteristic aroma of fresh sheep’s milk while its flavor is sweet, fresh and pleasant, with a light sour note.
Best Italian Semi-soft Cheeses
Semistagionato del Fiorini is an Italian cheese produced by Caseficio il Fiorino, a renowned dairy located in Tuscany. It is a semi-aged cheese, characterized by its firm yet somewhat creamy texture. The aging process for this cheese typically ranges between two to four months, allowing it to develop a balanced flavor profile that is both rich and nuanced.
The taste is often described as a harmonious blend of savory and slightly tangy notes, making it a versatile choice for various culinary applications, from cheese platters to cooked dishes.
AWARDS
International Cheese Awards - Gold
2023
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