Top 15 Trentino Cheeses

Agritur El Mas, located in Moena, is a family-run business specializing in local cheese production. They produce a variety of traditional cheeses using milk from their own cattle, following age-old recipes and methods. Agritur El Mas also offers tasting tours where visitors can experience the cheese-making process and sample different cheeses.Expand

Aignerhof is a cheese producer located in St. Martin in Passeier. The business specializes in crafting various artisanal cheeses using traditional methods. The farm emphasizes the use of high-quality, locally sourced milk. Visitors can tour the facility to learn about the cheese-making process and sample their products.Expand

Mila Südtirol is a leading dairy cooperative from South Tyrol, known for producing high-quality dairy products rooted in Alpine tradition, environmental respect, and sustainable development. Founded in 1962 as an association of milk producers from the Val Venosta valley, Mila has grown over the decades into a symbol of quality and authenticity. Today, the cooperative brings together around 2,200 mountain farmers whose farms are mostly located at altitudes above 1,000 meters, ensuring exceptional freshness and purity of raw milk. Mila offers a wide range of dairy products, reflecting the richness of the region and the care of its farmers. Mila operates two modern production facilities: one specialized in the processing of milk, yogurt, cream, butter, and skyr, and another focused on the production of hard cheeses, mascarpone, and additional quantities of skyr. Mila is deeply committed to preserving local culture and nature, promoting sustainable agriculture and animal welfare in every aspect of its operations.Expand

Alta Badia is a traditional cheese originating from South Tyrol. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's usually left to age for 6 months. Underneath its natural brownish rind, the texture is semi-hard, firm, and compact. The aromas and flavors are complex, intense, tangy, and milky, with long-lasting toasted notes. This Gruyere-like cheese melts well, so it's often used in local dishes or served as a table cheese. It also goes well with potatoes, cured ham, and dark bread. It's recommended to pair Alta Badia cheese with fruity red wines or a dry Riesling.Expand

This semi-hard cheese comes from the Stelvio Valley and the province of Bolzano, located in the mountainous northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige, bordered by Austria to the north-east, which is why Stelvio is sometimes called by its German name - Stilfser. A product of the well-established cheesemaking culture of the wider Bolzano area, Stelvio or Stilfser is made with milk from cows raised on the local mountain farms. Made for hundreds of years before, it wasn't recognized and named up until the early 1900s. The cheese is aged for approximately 60 days, developing a semi-hard texture. It has a reddish colored rind, and an ivory colored paste. The flavor of Stelvio is rich and buttery with an intense aroma and a slightly tangy taste. Expand

Fontal is an Italian industrially-produced semi-soft cow's milk cheese that's made throughout Northern Italy. The cheese is a combination of two cheeses – Fontina and Emmental, hence the name. It has a reddish-brown rind that hides a smooth, dense, and slightly elastic texture of the paste. Fontal ages from 45 to 60 days. It's very aromatic and the flavors are milky, mild, and buttery, with hints of almonds. The cheese melts exceptionally well, so it's recommended to use it in fondues or grill it with wild mushrooms. Drink pairings include Terre d'Agata di Salaparuta and Pignolo di Filiputti.Expand

Another typical northern Italian delicacy produced throughout the Alpine valleys of Fassa and Fiemme, Puzzone di Moena, also known as Spretz Tzaorì, is a semi-cooked and semi-hard washed rind cheese made from raw cow's milk. It is available either as Stagionato (matured) or Puzzone di Malga, a much sought-after variety made exclusively with milk from summer pastures. Puzzone di Moena is characterized by an intense aroma called puzza (lit. stink), and has a strong yet pleasantly salty flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It is typically served with polenta or potato purée, but it is also excellent for preparing various risotto or gnocchi dishes, although true food enthusiasts often choose to enjoy it on its own or with honey.Expand

Trentingrana is an Italian Grana cheese hailing from Trento. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk and it ages for 22 months. The rind is thick and dark yellow in color, imprinted with the word Trentino on each wheel. The texture is hard, grainy, and compact, while the flavors are sweet, rich, and full. The aftertaste is floral and delicate, with herbaceous and grassy hints. The cheese has been produced since 1926. It's recommended to eat it as it is or grate it over pasta. Trentingrana can also be used in salads and served with fresh fruit. Pair it with sparkling white wines or full-bodied red wines.Expand

Tyrolean grey cheese is a variety of sour cow's milk cheese, traditionally made on lush Austrian pastures from skimmed milk which was previously left to curdle for several days. This cheese is extremely low in fat, it has a thin crackled rind and a crumbly texture. Named after the grey colored mold which emerges on the surface right after maturation, Tiroler Graukäse exudes a strong, pungent aroma. It is typically crumbled over buttered wholemeal bread, but it is also an essential ingredient in many traditional Tyrolean dishes such as nettle soup with Kaspressknödeln, a variety of cheese dumplings, or Zillertal donuts. Interestingly, there is also an Italian variety of Gräukase from South Tyrol and it's protected by a PAT designation.Expand

Lagrein is a traditional cheese originating from the region of South Tyrol. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's cured with the local Lagrein wine. Underneath its washed rind, the texture is compact and elastic with many small irregular eyes running throughout the paste. The aroma is garlicky and reminiscent of salami, while the flavors are intense, salty, and meaty, reminiscent of cured sausages. Once the wheels of cheese are drained, they're placed in a mixture of Lagrein wine, garlic, pepper, and herbs for 5 days, and the cheese is then aged for 3 months. It's recommended to pair the cheese with Lagrein wine and serve it with speck, mustard, and pickles.Expand

Bela Badia is an Italian cheese produced in South Tyrol. The cheese is made from cow's milk and ages for 2 months. Underneath its smooth and dry crust, the texture is soft, supple, open, and straw-colored. The interior becomes intense with time and has a creamy, fresh, mild, sweet, and slightly tangy flavor, with hints of milk and grass. Bela Badia takes its name after the Badia valley, although it is produced in the whole Puster valley. It's recommended to grill Badia and accompany it with a glass of sparkling Brut Hausmannhof Riserva or Riesling Renano.Expand

Vezzena is a traditional cheese hailing from Trento, where it's been produced in the alpine farms of Lavarone, Vezzena, and Folgaria since the early 1900s. The cheese is made from June to September from partially skimmed raw cow's milk and it's usually left to mature from 12 to 24 months. There are a few versions of the cheese – fresh, medium-aged, aged, and extra-aged (more than 24 months). The texture is semi-hard, creamy, open, and buttery, while the grainy texture can be found in aged versions. The flavor is pleasantly bitter, herbaceous, piquant, intense, and earthy. It's recommended to use it as a table cheese or grate it over traditional dishes such as canederli.Expand

Crucolo is an Italian cheese hailing from Trentino-Alto Adige region. Dating back to the 19th century, the cheese is made from raw cow's milk. The milk is of the highest quality because the cows graze on green grass along the banks of the Brenta River. There are four versions – the sweet and fresh version (30 days of aging), the semi-hard version (60 days of aging), the version with Teroldego wine, and the giant version that weighs about 200 kg. Crucolo is typically moist, rich, and buttery, with a tangy finish, while the texture is dotted with eyes. It's recommended to pair it with mostarda and wine jellies.Expand