Crescenza-Stracchino (BelGioioso)
- Producer
- BelGioioso Cheese Co.
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Wisconsin
- Size
- 1.5” tall, 7” diameter
- Weight
- 3.5 lbs
- Website
- www.belgioioso.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Soft
- Rennet
- Microbial
- Rind
- None
- Style
- Fresh
Pasta Filata (mozzarella-type)
Founded by Errico Auricchio, BelGioioso Cheese is a cheesemaking operation based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Errico comes from a family of cheese makers who have been producing Provolone in Italy for over a century. In 1979, he moved his family to the United States and opened his own Italian cheese company.
Over the last thirty years, BelGioioso has grown to include seven manufacturing facilities in Northeastern Wisconsin. Using the milk of Wisconsin dairy farmers, the company produces over 25 types of cheese. However, each facility produces only a select few of these cheeses, thereby ensuring high quality and consistency. This has resulted in multiple awards, including several United States, World and American Cheese Society Awards.
Crescenza Stracchino is a fresh, pasteurized cow’s milk cheese modeled after Stracchino; an Italian cheese from the Piedmont region. The Italian Stracchino, or “tired” cheese, is made from the milk of cows that have travelled down from the high pastures in the Alps in September, leaving them exhausted. While the cows whose milk is used to produce Crescenza Stracchino aren’t as tired as their Italian counterparts, the character of the cheese is similar. It has a rich, dense texture half way between a cream cheese and Mozzarella. The flavor is bright and clean with lactic and tangy qualities. Enjoy it quickly, since this cheese has a relatively short lifespan of just two months.
Pairings
Since this cheese is pretty simple cheese, it is best to pair it with clean, fresh, young wines such as Vinho Verde or Pinot Grigio. With its rich, spreadable texture, Crescenza Stracchino is great spread on toast with some honey drizzled on top. It can also be melted over pasta to add a rich, tangy touch.
