Italian Semi-hard Cheeses

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'... READ MORE

Ubriaco is a unique Italian cheese hailing from Treviso in the region of Veneto. The cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk. It is left to age, and during the last few months of aging, Ubriaco is soaked in dry and sparkling Prosecco... READ MORE

One of the oldest and most typical spun curd cheeses of Southern Italy, Caciocavallo Silano originated from the Sila Plateau, and the tradition of cheesemaking later gradually expanded along the Apennine mountain range. Produced in the re... READ MORE

Certainly the finest and most well-known cheese of Valtellina valley, Bitto is a semi-hard or hard cheese, sold after it has been aged anywhere from 40 days to 3 years. The ancient production technique of this iconic Lombardian cheese dat... READ MORE

Cacioricotta is a cross between cacio (meaning cheese in the local dialect) and fresh ricotta, produced by combining two techniques of cheese-making. Originally hailing from the Apulian city of Salento, nowadays it is pr... READ MORE

Produced since the 1700s by the shepherds who lived on the Lattari Mountains, the largest milk production area around Naples and Vico Equense, Provolone del Monaco is a melon-shaped, semi-hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. Since ... READ MORE

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 stret... READ MORE

Malga is a traditional alpine-style cheese hailing from Carnia. Originally, it was produced in malgas (alpine huts). The cheese is made from skimmed and whole raw cow's milk (or a blend of cow's milk and 10% of goat's milk) and i... READ MORE

Traditionally produced in the northern Italian region of Veneto, namely the province of Verona, Monte Veronese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is a typical product of Monti Lessini and Monte Baldo mountain... READ MORE

Traditionally produced in the Apennines, namely the Emilia-Romagna's provinces of Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, Ravenna and Bologna, and the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino, Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno in the region of Marche, Fossa di Soglia... READ MORE

Accasciato is a semi-hard Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep’s and cow’s milk. It has a firm texture and a fresh aroma, while its flavor is best described as sweet. Although it can be consume... READ MORE

Alta Badia is a traditional cheese originating from South Tyrol. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's usually left to age for 6 months. Underneath its natural brownish rind, the texture is semi-hard, firm, and compact. ... READ MORE

Named after the Lake Raschera which is located at the foot of Mount Mongioie in the Ligurian Alps, and also a type of Alpine hut, this semi-hard fat cheese is traditionally made in the municipality of Magliano Alpi, settled in the province of Cune... READ MORE

Caciocavallo podolico is a variety of Caciocavallo cheese. This pasta-filata cheese is made in southern Italy from the raw milk of Podolica cattle breed. The herds move up the mountains in June and feed on rosehips, juni... READ MORE

Also known as Toma Italiana, this cooked semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk is produced in the Aosta Valley in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, and it is one of the oldest Italian cheese varieties, dating as far back as the R... 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

Produced in the Grana Valley since the early 1200s and found only in the Piedmont's province of Cuneo, Castelmagno is a semi-hard blue cheese with a crumbly texture, made from cow's milk and sometimes a small addition of sheep's and goat'... READ MORE

Vezzena is a traditional cheese hailing from Trento, where it's been produced in the alpine farms of Lavarone, Vezzena, and Folgaria since the early 1900s. The cheese is made from June to September from partially skimmed raw cow's milk an... READ MORE

Another typical northern Italian delicacy produced throughout the Alpine valleys of Fassa and Fiemme, Puzzone di Moena, also known as Spretz Tzaorì, is a semi-cooked and semi-hard washed rind cheese made from raw cow's mil... READ MORE

The origins of this Lombardian cheese can be traced back to the 1500s when the first cooperative dairies appeared in Valtellina valley. Derived from Latin words for cheese (caseus or casei), the word Casera was used to d... READ MORE

Traditionally produced within the Parco delle Orobie Bergamasche Alpine nature reserve in the Brembana Valley, namely the Lombardian province of Bergamo, Formai de Mut is a semi-hard cheese made with raw cow's milk. It is available in two varietie... READ MORE

This semi-hard cheese comes from the Stelvio Valley and the province of Bolzano, located in the mountainous northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige, bordered by Austria to the north-east, which is why Stelvio is sometimes called by... READ MORE

Jamar is a traditional cheese originating from karst caves in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The cheese is produced on the Zidarič farm located a few miles outside of Trieste in Prepotto. Jamar is made from raw cow's milk and it's left to age f... READ MORE

Bettelmatt is a rare toma cheese hailing from Piedmont, particularly the Val Formazza. The cheese is produced exclusively during summer months. It's made from the milk of local cows which graze on high pastures, and it's believed that the... READ MORE

Formadi frant is a cheese that is produced by breaking up three or four raw-milk cheeses of varying ages, seasoning them with salt, pepper, and occasionally other spices, then mixing with milk or cream. This mixture is wrapped in cloth, placed int... READ MORE

Crucolo is an Italian cheese hailing from Trentino-Alto Adige region. Dating back to the 19th century, the cheese is made from raw cow's milk. The milk is of the highest quality because the cows graze on green grass along the banks of the... READ MORE

Cacioricotta is a cross between a cheese and a fresh ricotta produced by combining two techniques of cheese-making. It is both cacio, meaning cheese, and ricotta, meaning recooked, because it is made by... 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

Even though it looks a lot like Pecorino Toscano, apart from being produced in two different Italian regions, these two aged semi-firm sheep milk cheeses both have their own specific flavor profile. Every Pecorino has that famous sweet an... READ MORE

Named after the process of pressing the cheese, Spressa delle Giudicarie is made by hand according to the ancient recipe passed down from one generation to another. It is made with the milk of Rendena cows, and produced in the pr... READ MORE

Traditionally produced in the Lombardian province od Varese, Formaggella del Luinese is a semi-hard cheese made with raw whole goat’s milk obtained from local Alpine breeds. After the first 20 days of maturing, the taste of Formagel... READ MORE

Cacioricotta is a cross between a cheese and fresh ricotta, produced by combining two techniques of cheese-making. It is both cacio, meaning cheese in the local dialect, and ricotta, meaning recooked, b... 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

Bastardo del Grappa is a traditional cheese made from cow’s milk from two milkings – one from the evening, and the other from the following morning. In the past, it was produced from mixed milk, hence the word bastardoREAD MORE

Crutin is an Italian cheese produced in Langhe, Piedmont. The cheese is made from cow's milk and ages from 1 to 2 months. Crutin was created by Beppino Occelli, who named it after a small cellar excavated from stone that was initially use... READ MORE

Castelrosso (aslo known as Toma Brusca) is a traditional semi-firm cheese hailing from Piedmont, where it's known as one of the most ancient styles of cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized Pezzata Rossa cow's milk, which is... READ MORE

Montasio fresco is a semi-hard, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese produced following traditional methods dating back to the 13th century. The cheese is aged for a minimum of 60 days (and up to 120), resulting in a delicate, creamy flavor with lactic... READ MORE

Montasio mezzano is a semi-hard, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese aged between 5 to 10 months. It develops a full-bodied, savory flavor with sweet and nutty notes, complemented by aromas of melted butter, cheese rind, and hay. The cheese has a comp... READ MORE

Caciocavallo dell'emigrante is a traditional cheese originating from Salerno. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk (sometimes sheep's milk) and it's stuffed with soppressata. The texture is smooth and semi-hard, while the flavor is delicate, mil... READ MORE

Pallone di Gravina is an Italian cheese hailing from Gravina in Puglia. This semi-hard, pasta filata-style artisan cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's shaped into a ball, hence the word pallone, from the word palla. It's a... READ MORE

Montasio stagionato is a semi-hard, aged cow’s milk cheese aged for over 10 months, during which it develops a firmer, more granular texture and a deep, nutty, and slightly piquant flavor. The rind darkens, and the interior turns golden yell... READ MORE

The origins of this cheese date back to the 15th century. Fromadzo is an old word for cheese which comes from Patois, one of the Aosta Valley dialects, where this cow's milk cheese has been traditionally produced. It has a very distinctiv... READ MORE