Branzi cheese
Branzi is a semi-cooked cow’s-milk cheese from the Bergamo Alps, with a supple straw-yellow paste and a flavor that grows fuller as it matures.
- Alpine cheese
- Branzi is made in the Orobie area around Branzi in the Bergamo Alps.
- Aging changes the flavor
- The young cheese is mild and delicate; longer maturation brings a stronger, more savory taste.
Melt it into polenta
Cut the cheese into small pieces and fold them into hot polenta near the end of cooking. Stir until the pieces melt through the mixture.
Serve it warm or at room temperature
Pair Branzi with polenta, bread or cooked vegetables. A younger piece is gentle; a more mature one brings a sharper finish to the plate.
Cook with it
Ask for Branzi by name
At the cheese counter, ask for Branzi and choose the maturation that suits the dish: younger for a softer melt, more mature for a stronger flavor.
Wrap and chill
Keep the cheese refrigerated in its wrapping or cheese paper, and follow the cheesemonger’s storage advice. Let it lose its chill briefly before serving.
