CHEESE

Stracchino (Crescenza)

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As legend has it, this fresh and rindless cheese got its start during autumn in the Lombardy and Romagna regions of northern Italy. Most cheeses are historically made in the spring and summer, when the pastures are lush and green, the days are long and the milk is as fresh as can be. Stracchino was supposedly made after the cows descended from their rugged, Alpine pastures in chillier months, and was crafted with their ultra-rich, pasture-infused milk. In Wisconsin, we make our soft and creamy, award-winning stracchino year-round. It’s lovely to cook and bake with: It spreads, melts and layers beautifully, and you’ll want it on hand at all times throughout the year.

Appearance

Bright and glossy white

Texture

Soft and creamy, melts and spreads well

Flavor

Very mild brie meets extremely fresh buttermilk tang

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Cheese Image

Performance Notes

To make grating and slicing easier, chill your creamy, soft stracchino first so it won’t stick to your blade.

Pairing Notes

Stracchino is a breeze to pair. Easy-drinking reds like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and beaujolais all work well, as do pilsners, pale ales and light hard ciders.

Serve

If you want to keep it simple, try stracchino tasty straight-up with a small bowl of olive oil and a loaf of crusty Italian bread. Throw some ripe tomatoes, salty olives, and cured meats on the table, and you have yourself all the fixings for a proper snack attack. If you’d rather turn up the heat, we recommend grating stracchino for a memorable pizza topper or slicing it into a mind altering, super-melty panini.