Lodi Pannerone

The name pannerone comes from panéra, which in the Lodi dialect means “cream.” Indeed, this cheese is made only from creamy, full-fat milk. It used to be known as gorgonzola bianco (“white gorgonzola”), though it is not actually related to the more famous blue cheese. This cheese’s defining characteristic is that it is not salted. Raw cow’s milk is coagulated at 28-32°C in 30 minutes, and then the curd is broken up until the pieces are about the size of corn kernels. Some of the whey is removed, using basins called ramin, and then, keeping the mass always in motion, the curd is extracted with the use of a cloth called patte. The curd is then chopped up byhand and but into molds, where it rests for 4-5 days at about 30°C and continues to drain. Next, the cheeses are removed from the molds and wrapped in special paper, tightened with wooden strips, and left at a warm temperature for another couple of days–this step is known as stufatura, or “stewing.” Finally, the cheeses are moved to a cold room with a temperature of 4–6°C. Thus, in total, the maturation is about 10 days.

The cylindrical cheeses weigh between 12 and 13 kilograms and have a diameter of 25 to 30 centimeters and a height of 20 cm. The rind is thin, smooth, and straw yellow in color. The creamy white paste has many small eyes and is soft and fragrant. A complex and unusual flavor develops because of the activity of the bacterial flora in the absence of salt: Pannerone has an almondy finish with a slight bitterness. While this flavor might be considered a defect in other cheeses, in this case it is characteristic, giving pannerone a taste profile unlike any other Italian cheese. Because most consumers have come to prefer cheeses with an “easier” taste, pannerone is now at risk of extinction; before World War I, it was made throughout the Lombardy plains, particularly in the towns around Lodi and in Casalpusterlengo, but today it is difficult to find. It is worth seeking out as it can be used in creative pairings, for example with jams and preserved fruit (including mostarda, which is fruit preserved in sugar syrup and flavored with mustard essence), grapes, honey, and pomace brandies.