What Does Gorgonzola Cheese Taste Like?

In this post, I will discuss what exactly Gorgonzola cheese tastes like.

Let us get started!

What Is Gorgonzola?

Gorgonzola is a famous Italian cheese made from milk from unskimmed cow’s milk.

Gorgonzola can be made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk, but those are not common. It is a white cheese with the signature blue marbling throughout. 

It is frequently referred to as blue cheese and often boasts milder flavors than other blue cheeses.

The marbling on the inside is because of Penicillium roqueforti. Penicillium glaucum is also used, but the roqueforti variety is more common.

What Does Gorgonzola Taste Like?

This blue cheese is flavorsome, salty, and earthy. Depending on its age, the texture can vary from creamy and soft to crumbly and semi-firm. Gorgonzola has a sharp and intense flavor with a sweet aftertaste.

Gorgonzola cheese has a pungent and spicy flavor with a nutty aroma. Its unique blue-colored marbling characterizes it.

The presence of greenish-blue penicillin mold gives the cheese a sharp taste and a creamy texture.

The taste of Gorgonzola also varies depending on its age, from mild to sharp. Young Gorgonzola cheese is smooth, buttery, and creamy, while the old version is strong, earthier, and has a more piquant bite. 

Here’s the link to the video –

Gorgonzola Varieties 

There are two varieties of Gorgonzola: Dolce and Piccante. 

The Dolce is aged less, and its shorter aging results in a sweeter flavor. The Piccante is the more aged of the two.

Dolce is also the milder of the two version. It has a creamy, soft, and slightly sweet flavor and may display hints of sour cream with a lactic tang. It is white or pale yellow and is creamy and moist in texture.

While Piccante is pale yellow, its flavor is stronger. Piccante has more pungent, spicy aroma. Piccante has a powerful bite, unlike the milder flavors of a Dolce.

Gorgonzola Is The Same As Blue Cheese?

Basically, blue cheese is a general category of cheeses that are made with a variety of milk like cow, goat, and sheep. Gorgonzola is a specific variety within that category made with cow’s milk.

Blue cheese has a sharp, salty taste, and it is also harder in texture, while Gorgonzola is also salty but more on the crumbly side.

Gorgonzola Cheese Vs Roquefort Cheese

Here are the key differences between Gorgonzola Cheese and Roquefort Cheese –

• In the case of Gorgonzola, mold is induced by adding penicillium. Roquefort, in contrast, produces its mold naturally, owing to the action of the penicillium present in the Combalou caves.
• Gorgonzola is made from unskimmed pasteurized cow’s milk. Roquefort is produced from ewe’s milk.
• Gorgonzola has a thick reddish-brown skin which is hard, rough, and inedible. Whereas Roquefort has no skin because the high degree of humidity in the caves doesn’t allow its formation.
• The paste of Gorgonzola cheese is firmer and less creamy than that of its cousin Roquefort.

How Is  Gorgonzola Cheese Made?

Thinking to prepare Gorgonzola cheese at home? Here is the step by step process –

1. Curdle the milk. Specific yeasts and rennet (which help break solids away from water in the milk) are added to the pasteurized cow’s milk to aid in the curdling process.
2. Add some heat. The marbling effect gets triggered by the yeast and rennet, and now as the milk will curdle, gently heat it to a specific temperature, usually around 86–90°F.
3. Cut the curds into cubes. Discard the drained-away whey or use it in other areas of cooking.
4. Place the curds in molds. Next, they are coated and brined in sea salt to help create skin.
5. Now prick the cheese skin with a metal skewer to encourage the marbling.
6. After aging for a minimum of 50 days, the Italian cheese can be certified as Gorgonzola.

Watch the recipe –

Can You Freeze Gorgonzola Cheese?

Yes, you can freeze Gorgonzola cheese. The best way to preserve dairy goods is to freeze them for how long Gorgonzola cheese will stay at its optimum condition for up to four months in the freezer.

By doing this, the texture, flavor, and nutrients will not be disturbed by the ever-changing room temperature.

Ways To Enjoy Gorgonzola 

There are multiple ways to use and enjoy –

• You can use Gorgonzola with steak. 
• You can also use Gorgonzola in the form of a sauce.
• Gorgonzola cheese goes well with dried fruit, salad, polenta, and risotto. 
• Stuff halved avocados with creamy Gorgonzola and walnuts.
• Gorgonzola also works perfectly with pasta. You can either cook along with it or sprinkle it over the cooked pasta.

Watch the recipe –

What Can You Substitute For Gorgonzola Cheese?

Here are the most common substitutes for Gorgonzola cheese –

1. Creamy Blue cheese is gentle, rich, and smooth, with hints of mild bitterness and a soft finish. A delightful blend of zest and creaminess. Creamy Blue leaves a strong impression, as it softly and gradually presents its somewhat sharp profile.
2. Roquefort is another blue mold cheese named after its place of origin. It’s made from sheep’s milk and is tangy and crumbly with a unique marbling. Roquefort is aromatic and pungent just like Gorgonzola cheese.
3. Another crumbly blue mold cheese is Blue Stilton. It has a strong aroma and flavor and offers a tangy finish. Like Gorgonzola cheese, Stilton comes in a bluish appearance too. The blue version has a strong flavor. The young blue Stilton has a slightly acidic taste.
4. Simple goat cheese will do the work if you want the same type of creaminess as Gorgonzola. 

In The End

I hope this guide helped you understand the taste of Gorgonzola cheese 🙂

If you have any queries, please let us know.

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