Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is a blue-veined cheese made exclusively from pasteurised whole cows' milk, produced within a defined area of Piedmont and Lombardy. The specification distinguishes three types classified by weight, flavour, and maturation period: large wheel mild type, large wheel strong type, and small wheel strong type. Fat content in the dry matter must reach a minimum of 48 %.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0010, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012992, and granted EU protection on 21 June 1996, Gorgonzola is produced under a specification administered by the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Gorgonzola. The cheese is made exclusively from pasteurised whole cows' milk, with calf rennet and salt as the only additional raw materials. At least 50 % on an annual basis of the dry matter of the feed for the cows must come from the production area. The defined geographical area comprises the entire territory of fifteen named provinces across Piedmont and Lombardy, together with thirty-one specified municipalities in the Province of Alessandria. The paste is homogeneous, white and pale yellow, with characteristic blue-green and/or grey-blue veins produced by mould marbling. The rind is grey and/or pink and is non-edible. Three types are recognised: the large wheel mild type, weighing from 9 to 13,5 kg, with a maturation period of a minimum of 50 days and a maximum of 150 days; the large wheel strong type, also from 9 to 13,5 kg, with a maturation period of a minimum of 80 days and a maximum of 270 days; and the small wheel strong type, from 5,5 to less than 9 kg, with a maturation period of a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of 200 days. Fat content in the dry matter must be a minimum of 48 %. Each wheel carries an identifying mark on each flat face bearing the dairy's identification number, and is wrapped in goffered aluminium foil bearing the designation 'DOP Gorgonzola' together with the EU symbol; wheels and portions of the strong type additionally bear the word 'piccante'.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0010, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012992.
• The specification defines three types by weight, flavour, and maturation: large wheel mild type (minimum 50 days, maximum 150 days), large wheel strong type (minimum 80 days, maximum 270 days), and small wheel strong type (minimum 60 days, maximum 200 days).
• Fat content in the dry matter must be a minimum of 48 %; raw materials are restricted to whole cows' milk, calf rennet, and salt.
• Authenticity is guaranteed by an identifying mark on each flat face of the wheel and goffered aluminium foil bearing 'DOP Gorgonzola'; strong-type products additionally carry the word 'piccante'.

Tasting notes

Lombard cow's milk blue cheese in two styles. Dolce: pale ivory with greenish-blue veining, soft creamy spreadable texture, mild sweet flavor with gentle blue tang. Piccante: firmer crumbly paste with prominent dark-blue veining, robust intense pungent flavor with sharp blue character.

HoReCa use

Dolce melted into pasta sauces and spread on warm polenta; piccante crumbled on salads and used as an ingredient in risotto.

Packaging

• wheel-full-6-13kg
• wheel-half-3-7kg
• wedge-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-250g
• crumbled-pre-pack-100g
• tub-spreadable-150g