Whether for a light break, lunch or dinner, there are some ingredients and specialities in the Italian culinary tradition that would always surprise you for being so simple and so tasty at the same time.
Italy is the homeland of cheese and salumi: Italians are used to consume them as they are or paired with other ingredients. They are often the easiest solution when families do not want to or do not have the time to cook lunch or dinner, as well as the best way to have tasty and high-quality food, thanks to their craftsmanship and uniqueness.
Original and easy food pairings
Parmigiano Reggiano is the King of Italian cheeses and according to its aging you can choose what to pair it with. At 12-18 months it tastes like milk and yogurt, it is perfect in flakes, as an aperitif, and in cold dishes. Around 24 months it reaches the right balance between sweet and tasty (the fifth savory taste called umami comes out) and it is perfect to be used for recipes or shaved on first courses. From 30 months its consistency becomes brittle and the flavour is decisive, perfect for stuffed and baked pasta, or as a dessert combined with fruit and honey, or with come drops of Modena balsamic vinegar. Over 40 months gives pleasant hints of spices and becomes a meditation cheese. At Eataly Dubai, Doha and Riyadh stores you can taste Parmigiano Reggiano served with wild rocket leaves, grilled focaccia bread and marinated cherry tomatoes.
Robiola is another Italian cheese that follows a different production process if compared to Parmigiano Reggiano. It is a soft cheese, produced almost exclusively with cow’s milk, while in the past sheep and goat’s milk were also used. It originates from the Alpine valleys, first and foremost of Valsassina, but it is also produced in Lombardy and Piedmont. Most famous Robiola cheese are the robiolas from Langhe of Alba, Bassolasco and Roccaverano; the latter obtained in 1996 the PDO certification.
Robiola is perfect to be consumed on toasted bread. You can also enrich its taste by spreading some herbs on top, such as chives. You can also use Robiola to make pasta or even cheesecake.
Gorgonzola is a veined Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow’s milk. It has been produced for centuries in the town of Gorgonzola, close by Milan, although nowadays it is produced across the region of Lombardy.
Classic pairing with gorgonzola is made of mascarpone with walnuts, but gorgonzola has a different and original pairing according to the season: you can pair it with raw vegetables such as celery, tomatoes, peppers, radish, or even use it as a dressing on top of salads. During summer you’d rather try to pair it with summer fruits such as figs, and every time you wish you can pair it with dried fruits or citruis fruits marmalade, chestnut or fig mustards or vegetable sauces, such as red onion sauce, perfect to be paired with spicy gorgonzola.
Bresaola is an air-dried, salted beef, typical from the Valtellina, certified as PGI. It perfectly pairs with different cheese, such as goat cheese, or buffalo mozzarella. Plain bread is the ideal match with bresaola, if you want to feel all the taste of this salume. If you are looking for surprises you’d rather try bresaola with pomegranate or with dried figs and rocket leaves.
Food pairings make you drool? Come visit us at our stores in Dubai, Doha and Riyadh and experience all this out for yourself!