History:

The birth of Gorgonzola is attributed to the legend of the love between a young cheese maker and his girlfriend, a pretty farmer. One wicked night, legend says, he lingered with her without finishing his day's work. Having better things to attend to, he left it for the next day. When mixing the curd from the milking of the previous evening with the fresh morning milk, the bold young man in love obtained a cheese never made before. Some people called it a miracle, but those who knew better kept their silence, exploiting for their own ends the story of the bold love between the cheese maker and his loved one, thus keeping their names forever from gossip. This is the legend passed down by word of mouth. Literature, however, documents how Gorgonzola cheese has been known for centuries. Chiabrera, near the end of the 16th century, referring to a hat in fashion in that period, ended one of his sonnets in these terms: "…shaped like a Gorgonzola." He was referring to the hat, recalling the shape of the cheese.

THE REGION OF ORIGIN
The provinces of Bergamo, Biella, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Lecco, Lodi, Milano, Novara, Pavia, Verbania, Vercelli as well as the Casale Monferrato area are producers of certified Gorgonzola cheese. THE LOOKS

Gorgonzola is a white straw-colored raw paste cheese. The typical blue-green marbling (known as "erbonirature") gives Gorgonzola a unique look. Its paste is soft. We suggest to remove it from the refrigerator about half hour before eating it, thus bringing back its cream-like features. The taste is distinctively unique and savory. The bold flavor is delightful and stimulating.

HOW TO IDENTIFY GORGONZOLA
The Gorgonzola cheese shapes are originally branded on both flat surfaces. Consumers, when buying it, can certify its authenticity by the presence of the raised "CG" seal on the aluminum wrapping on the sides of the shape, as supplied to authorized members by the Gorgonzola Consortium.

IN THE KITCHEN
For small quantities, wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in tightly sealed containers in the lower bottom of your refrigerator.
For large quantities, slice if thinly, wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze it. Remove it from the freezer as needed and eat it shortly thereafter.
Gorgonzola is great for preparing simple or elaborate recipes, but is also excellent for preparing sauces and spreads by adding butter or cooking cream. This latter use allows to recover Gorgonzola when it has been kept too long in the refrigerator and has therefore acquired an exceedingly sharp flavor. CERTIFICATION
Gorgonzola cheese is recognized by the European Union and is registered in the D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) product directory as of June 6th, 1996, EU registration #1107. In order to benefit from this status, Gorgonzola cheese must comply with the requirements of the production protocol. The control agency appointed by the Department of Agricultural Policies is CSQA, based in Thiene. Unique to the qualifying cheese, a certificate of authenticity is released, allowing the sale of the Protected Designation of Origin "Gorgonzola" product.