Taleggio (; , or ) is a semisoft washed-rind Italian cheese named after Val Taleggio, Italy. The cheese has a thin, edible rind and a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang. The rind is a pinkish-brown, and the interior is creamy and pale yellow. It has a protected designation of origin so that only such cheese produced in the Lombardy or Piedmont regions of Italy may be designated as Taleggio.

History Taleggio and similar cheeses have been around since Roman times, with Cicero, Cato the Elder, and Pliny the Elder all mentioning it in their writings. The cheese was solely produced in the Val Taleggio until the late 1800s, when some production moved to the Lombardy plain to the south. After 1992, cheesemakers in Val Taleggio attempted to rename the cheese they produced as Taleggio del Val Taleggio ("Taleggio of Val Taleggio") to distinguish it from the more widely produced versions from nearby areas, but abandoned the attempt when they received legal caution against it, as the cheese already had a protected designation of origin.

Production The production takes place every autumn and winter. First, acidified milk is mixed with rennet taken from milk calves. The cheese is formed into square blocks and set on wood shelves in chambers, sometimes in caves as per tradition, and matures within six to ten weeks. It is washed once a week with a seawater sponge to prevent mould growth and to form an orange or rose crust. This smear-washing makes the cheese susceptible to contamination. Listeria developing on Taleggio is typically considered to be a post-manufacturing contamination, as the surface microflora are inhibitory to its development. The ripening cheese has been traditionally stored in caves near Valsassina, in which gentle breezes within spread the moulds growing in its rind.

Each square block is imprinted with a four-leaf brand representing the Consorzio Tutela Taleggio.

Nutritional information

+ Taleggio Fat content 48%Nutritional values(per ) energy protein19 gfat26 gcalcium460 mgphosphorus360 mgmagnesium22 mgvitamin A450 mgvitamin B2280 mgvitamin B6131 mgvitamin E4450 mg Dimensions square, height: Weight

See also

List of Italian cheeses

References

External links The Consortium Protection Taleggio website