Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola (/ˌɡɔːrɡənˈzoʊlə/, Italian: [ɡorɡonˈdzɔːla]) is an Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk, believed to have been created in the 9th century, now with use of its name controlled under the criteria of a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Gorgonzola is available in two dominant variations: dolce, with a more delicate flavor and buttery consistency, and piccante, with a more pungent flavor and firm, crumbly texture. Either can be quite salty, with a "bite" from their blue veining. Additionally, a third variation exists with the more delicate mascarpone, marketed as gorgonzola e mascarpone.

The cheese takes its name from the Lombardian town of Gorgonzola, Milan, where the cheese originated and which celebrates an annual September Gorgonzola festival, the Sagra Nazionale del Gorgonzola.

Within the European Union and countries recognizing the PDO, a cheese bearing the name Gorgonzola may only originate from its closely defined geographic locale. Outside the EU and countries recognizing the PDO, the name Gorgonzola may legally be used to designate similar blue-veined cheeses, such as those from Wisconsin, Vermont, or elsewhere.