How to choose the right Italian cheese

Italy is home to hundreds of high-quality cheeses; finding the right cheese to add flavor to your dish is just a matter of sorting through your options and finding the best match!

It might be helpful to divide cheeses into two categories: fresh and dried. Fresh cheeses are used for many purposes in Italian cooking. Ricotta is a fresh, small-curd cheese used in both sweet and savory dishes and is commonly available anywhere good cheese is sold. Ricotta can be used in baked pastas to add depth of flavor and texture, as well as inside stuffed pastas and on pizzas. Sweetened, it makes a great filling for crepes and cannoli. Other fresh Italian cheeses include fresh mozzarella -- a staple of pizzas, pastas, and salads-- and Acceglio and Mascarpone, found in varieties of pastas and desserts, as well as by themselves!

While fresh cheeses are generally best used in dishes that appreciate their delicate flavor, dried cheeses are best suited for bolder foods that can appreciate their strong flavor additions. When it comes to dried cheeses, everybody knows the "king of cheeses", Italian Parmesano Reggiano (or, commonly, "parmesan cheese"). It's sold in blocks, finely grated or shredded; commonly added to pastas or pizzas, Parmeseano Reggiano adds a snap of salty, milky flavor to anything it touches. It's also fantastic served alone with fruit. Other dried cheeses include Asiago and Pecorino Romano, both used commonly as grating cheeses, as well as eaten by themselves as part of antipasto platters.

No matter what your need (or budget), there's an Italian cheese for you! Find a seller in your local area that can help you navigate the hundreds of choices -- and as any foodie will tell you, a good cheese monger will always let you sample for free!