Lake Como's Cheeses

Lake Como's Cheeses

The Lake Como territory is a land of mountain - pasture cheeses, particularly in Valle d'Intelvi, where dairy art masterpieces such as the Casoretta, a fatty cheese from cow’s milk sometimes with goat milk added (circa 10%), which is seasoned at least a month and is then used to flavor pastas, polenta and so on.

Zincarlin is produced in Valle d'Intelvi and the upper Lake Como territory. It is a seasoned ricotta which can be seasoned even more than a year, which is covered in black pepper. It’s unique taste and vanilla flavor is owed to it being processed with a whey of fatty cheese and a goat’s and/or cow’s milk acid whey. When it is seasoned, Zincarlin has a thin crust and a strong, appetizing taste. Semuda is a typical low-fat cheese from the area between Dongo and Gravedona, is produced from manually-skimmed cow’s milk. On the Lecco side of the lake Como area, the land of cheeses is the Valsassina, the special Taleggio DOP comes from here, as does the Gorgonzola DOP, together with a large family of soft, fresh stracchino cheeses.

One of the Valsassina makers’ secrets lies in the areas natural cantinas:  grottoes and caved dug from the rock where air currents which benefit the cheese blow. We also want to point out Fiorone, Robiola and many other cheeses which can be found fresh as well as seasoned a long time in the caves. In lake Como territory everyone knows Furmagitt, fresh or seasoned, natural or flavored with pepper and oil, or even with locally grown herbs, made of goat’s or cow’s milk.