Italian Soft Cheeses

Mozzarella is a fresh, soft, stretched curd cheese, made with whole cow's milk. Due to the fact that it has a fragrant aroma of fresh milk and a delicate creamy flavor, mozzarella is traditionally paired with light white wines. This Italian classi... READ MORE

Ricotta is a fresh, soft cheese made from sheep's, cow's, goat's or Italian water buffalo's milk. Technically, it is not a cheese but a creamy curd made by reheating the whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking – hence the name ricotta... READ MORE

Mascarpone is a cheese from the Italian region of Lombardy, characterized by its very high fat content, ranging from 60% to 75%. Its texture can be smooth, creamy, or buttery, depending on the production process, while the flavors are lem... READ MORE

Burrata, literary meaning buttered, is an artisan cheese from the Puglia region of Southern Italy, especially the provinces of Bari and Barletta-Andria-Trani. The cheese is made by hand with cow's milk, rennet, and cream. It is b... READ MORE

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,... READ MORE

Though there are many buffalo mozzarella cheeses made with a combination of buffalo and cow's milk, to be labeled as such, the genuine mozzarella di bufala campana must be made from 100% domestic water buffalo milk and produced either in ... READ MORE

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 bl... READ MORE

Caprino is a goat’s milk cheese made throughout Italy - the name derives from the Italian word capra, meaning goat. There are two main varieties of caprino: fresco (fresh) and stagionato (aged). A fresh version is ... READ MORE

Provola is an Italian cheese that's essentially the smaller version of Provolone. The cheese is made from cow's milk and originates from Campania. This pasta filata cheese is typically immersed in brine, and some of the ... READ MORE

Ricotta di bufala is an Italian cheese made from full-fat water buffalo's milk and the whey from mozzarella di bufala. The texture is firm, fluffy, creamy, and grainy. The aromas are rich and fresh, while the flavors are subtle a... READ MORE

Ricotta salata is the saltier, aged version of the famous fresh ricotta. This Italian cheese hails from Sicily and it's made from sheep's milk whey. The cheese is salted, formed into a wheel, then aged for about 3 months. The texture is c... READ MORE

Tomino is an Italian cheese originating from Piedmont. It is made from cow's milk and has a compact and soft paste on the interior that is pale yellow in color. The cheese is small and round. When fresh, it has a pleasant, milky aroma wit... READ MORE

Stracciata is an artisan Italian cheese produced in Molise. It is made from cow's milk. The curd is cut or torn, and it is then stretched into ribbons that can be folded or braided. Although stracciata is usually snow-white, in spring and... READ MORE

Ricotta di pecora, or sheep milk ricotta, is produced in many Italian regions, and each cheese has a slightly different flavor. Sicilian ricotta is seasonal, the best one is made in the period from November till May when the ewes are feed... READ MORE

Stracciatella is a traditional cheese hailing from Puglia. This cheese is actually the inside of the burrata, made from shredded threads of mozzarella di bufala (sfilacci, made from water buffalo's milk) that are mixed with fresh... READ MORE

Dolcelatte is an Italian blue-veined cheese that was initially produced by the Galbani Company. The cheese is made from cow's milk and matures for 2 to 3 months. It's produced in the same way as Gorgonzola, but Dolcelatte is made from the... READ MORE

Ciliegine is a traditional type of mozzarella cheese. It consists of small and smooth white balls of mozzarella that's made with pasteurized cow's milk, or sometimes with water buffalo's milk. Ciliegine are just a bit smaller than bocconcini, anot... READ MORE

Ricotta di Bufala Campana is a product obtained through the processing of the 'first whey' (sweet) obtained in the cheese-making process which uses milk from the Mediterranea Italiana buffalo breed. The production area is within ... READ MORE

Made from cow's milk, in particular, mozzarella and cream, Burrata di Andria is popularly known as 'the queen of cheeses'. It originates from Apulia, namely the town of Andria, and although Burrata has been produced only since 1950s, it h... READ MORE

IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL AND CONSUME THIS CHEESE DUE TO HEALTH RISKS. Casu marzu is a controversial Italian sheep’s milk cheese originating from Sardinia. The cheese is derived from the Pecorino family of cheeses and has a sof... READ MORE

Morlacco or Morlacco di Grappa is an Italian cheese originating from the Mount Grappa area in the provinces of Treviso, Belluno, and Vicenza. It is made from cow's milk and has a natural elastic rind. Its aroma is fresh and delic... READ MORE

Named after the town of Roccaverano, this fatty cheese is produced in Langhe, a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro between the Piedmont provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Robiola di Roccaverano is a fresh or short-aged s... READ MORE

Ricotta Romana is a fresh milk product made with sheep’s milk whey obtained from animals in the Lazio region that are pasture-grazed or fed on forage that grows in the region. Pastures and grass reserves are the only food for the sh... READ MORE

This traditional Apulian delicacy is a cross between a cheese and fresh ricotta. Made with the mixture of milk from pasture-fed goats or sheeps, it is produced by combining ricotta and traditional cheese-making methods. The fresh milk is first hea... READ MORE

Treccia is a traditional mozzarella-style cheese. This mozzarella variation is characterized by its braided shape and shiny surface. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk or sometimes with water buffalo's milk. The texture is stringy, ela... READ MORE

Also called Squacquarone or Squaquaròn, this full-fat soft cheese has a tradition dating back for centuries. It is made with whole cow's milk and produced in the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, Bologna a... READ MORE

Burrino is a traditional cheese hailing from Basilicata, but it's also produced using similar techniques in Campania, Molise, and Calabria. The cheese consists of an exterior layer of soft cheese and an interior of butter from the whey. T... READ MORE

Ricotta forte is a traditional Apulian cheese. This white cheese is made from sheep's or goat's milk. The texture is creamy and spreadable, the aromas pungent, and the flavors spicy and intense. Originally, it was produced by the shepherd... READ MORE

The origins of Quartirolo Lombardo date back to the 10th century when this rectangular, brine-washed cheese was known as Stracchino Quadro. Although nowadays available all-year-round, Quartirolo Lombardo was traditionally made du... READ MORE

La Castana is an award-winning Italian blue cheese originating from Tuscany, where it's produced by De' Magi Formaggi. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk, salt, rennet, Penicillium roqueforti, lactic acid bacteria, candied chestnuts, ... READ MORE

Perlini is a traditional type of mozzarella cheese. This type of mozzarella is the smallest of them all and it's about the size of pearls, hence the name. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk, or sometimes water buffalo's milk. The textu... READ MORE

Produced in the Veneto region, namely the province of Treviso, Casatella Trevigiana is a soft cheese made from whole cow’s milk. The name of this cheese is derived from the word 'casa' (home) because it was traditionally homemade on... READ MORE

Provola dei Nebrodi is an Italian pasta filata cheese hailing from Sicily. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk and it comes in a few versions – fresca (fresh, less than 30 days), semi-stagionata (partially aged,... READ MORE

Produced in the Alpine valley of Val Taleggio, namely the Lombardian province of Bergamo, Strachitunt soft cheese is said to be a cross between blue cheese and Taleggio, the region's most popular cheese. However, Strachitunt is m... READ MORE

Tosella is an Italian fresh cheese hailing from Valle di Primiero in Trentino. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk that's whole or partially skimmed, on the same day of the milking, so it should be eaten as soon as possible. Originally... READ MORE

Pannerone is a traditional cheese hailing from Lodi. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk and cream, but without salt. It's left to age for 3 months. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is creamy, grainy, and open. The aromas are r... READ MORE

Nodini is a traditional mozzarella-style cheese. The cheese consists of small hand-shaped knots of fresh mozzarella fior di latte with a smooth and shiny surface. It's usually made with pasteurized cow's milk, and sometimes with water buffalo's mi... READ MORE

Casu axedu is an Italian cheese hailing from Sardinia. The cheese is made from sheep's or goat's milk. After the curd has been shaped, it's often left to drain for 2 days before it's placed into brine, where it can stay conserved for a lo... READ MORE

Salignon is a traditional cheese originating from the Valle d'Aosta region. It's essentially a ricotta cheese mixed with salt, pepper, mountain herbs, and chili peppers. The texture is creamy, while the flavors are spicy and hot. The chee... READ MORE

Giuncata is a traditional cheese originating from Puglia, and it’s one of the oldest Apulian cheeses. The cheese is named after the reed (giunco) basket in which it was placed after it’s been made in order to get its cylindrical shape.... READ MORE

Schiz is a traditional fresh cheese from the Veneto region of Italy. This cheese has a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a soft, creamy texture, making it perfect for frying or grilling. Unlike aged cheeses, schiz is not ripened; it is typically mad... READ MORE

Rosso di lago is a traditional cheese originating from Piedmont and produced by La Casera. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's and sheep's milk. It has a natural edible rind that becomes bright red or neon orange during the aging pr... READ MORE