Quartirolo Lombardo

Quartirolo Lombardo is a soft table cheese made from raw or pasteurised cow's milk drawn from at least two milkings, produced within a defined belt of Lombardy provinces. It is marketed in two forms: 'fresh', aged between 2 and 30 days from production, and 'mature' or 'aged', matured beyond 30 days. Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0022.

About this designation

Quartirolo Lombardo holds PDO status, registered on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0022, with the eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013004. The specification requires that all stages of production — stockbreeding, milking, cheese-making, and maturing — take place within the administrative territories of the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo, Como, Lecco, Cremona, Milan, Lodi, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, and Varese. The cheese is made from raw or pasteurised cow's milk from cows reared in that area, using milk from at least two milkings; milk from the first milking must be used whole, while milk from subsequent milkings may be whole or partially skimmed. On an annual basis, at least 50 % of the dry matter in the cattle feed must come from the geographical area of origin. The cheese takes a rectangular brick or cube form with flat sides and a straight heel, weighing between 1,5 kg and 3,5 kg, with flat-surface width of 18 to 22 cm and heel height of 4 to 8 cm. Fat content in the dry matter must be not less than 30 % for product made from semi-skimmed milk. Whole cheeses must bear a mark of origin impressed on one flat surface, consisting of a logo with the letters Q and L at each corner and the producer's identification number at the centre. The applicant group is the Consorzio di Tutela Quartirolo Lombardo, headquartered in Brescia.

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-0022; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013004.
• The ageing period for fresh Quartirolo Lombardo runs from 2 to 30 days from the date of production; product matured beyond 30 days is marketed as 'mature' or 'aged'.
• At least 50 % of the dry matter in cattle feed must originate from the defined geographical area on an annual basis.
• Whole cheeses must carry an impressed origin mark bearing the letters Q and L at each corner of the logo and the producer's identification number at the centre.

Tasting notes

Lombard cow's milk fresh cheese (5-30 days) — Maggengo "fresh" or Vecchio (30+ days). Square white-yellow wheels with thin rind, soft yielding paste, mild lactic flavor with grassy-fresh notes; aged versions develop savory-piquant edge.

HoReCa use

Fresco sliced on cheese boards or melted in risotto; mature versions paired with mostarda di Cremona, walnut bread, or honey, or spread on crostini.

Packaging

• wheel-full-1.5-3.5kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g