Gorgonzola cheese originated in Italy.
Gorgonzola, an Italian blue cheese, takes its name from a village near Milan. Though it originated in Italy, versions of it are made in the United States, France and Argentina. It remains soft and rich, similar to its cousins, Roquefort and Stilton.
Milk
Cows provide the milk for many types of cheese.
Like all cheese, gorgonzola starts as milk, whether from a cow or goat. Cheese makers warm the milk and add rennet, which comes from the lining of a cow's stomach, to facilitate curdling.
Mold and time
When milk curdles, the heavy, solid parts are known as curds. Cheese makers add two bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, to the curds. In some versions of Gorgonzola, Penicillium roqueforti, an ingredient in Roquefort cheese, is used. The cheese is aged for three to four months, with iron rods poked into it to facilitate spread of the bacteria. The bacteria is what gives the cheese its moldy, greenish appearance.
Origins
Gorgonzola's birthplace is near Milan.
According to "The Cheese Book," the creation of Gorgonzola was something of an accident---at least according to legend. It says Gorgonzola was originally an uncured cheese sold by farmers near a wine shop. Farmers would give their leftover cheese to the proprietor in exchange for wine. Eventually, the shop owner amassed so much that a green mold began appearing on it as it aged in his basement.
Tags: Cheese makers, near Milan, originated Italy