🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Italians

Italy has one of the richest cheese traditions in the world. In the north, in the Po Valley, cows are kept; in the Apennines and on the islands, sheep and goats; and in Campania and Lazio, water buffalo. Every region is proud of its cheeses.

Mozzarella di bufala, made from the milk of Campanian buffalo, is protected in the EU as a designation of origin. Parmigiano Reggiano is a long-aged hard cheese made from cow’s milk, pecorino is a family of sheep’s milk cheeses, and ricotta is made from whey that is heated a second time. Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Taleggio and dozens of other cheeses are also protected.

Cheesemaking is tied to moving herds: seasonal livestock droving in Italy is part of the multinational UNESCO element “Transhumance”. In Italian cooking, cheese is both a dish in its own right and the basis of pasta, pizza and desserts.