Quartirolo Lombardo 
Quartirolo Lombardo is a PDO cow's milk cheese from Lombardy in northern Italy, made since the 10th century. It is known for its rectangular block shape, its crumbly white paste, and a slightly sour flavor that grows more aromatic with age.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Specific Origin | Lombardy region, between Po River and pre-Alpine valleys of Bergamo and Lecco |
| Protection | PDO (1996), PDO (1993) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Fat Content | At least 30% in dry matter (semi-skimmed milk) |
| Rind | Thin and soft, white-pink when young, grey-green reddish when aged |
| Texture | White and firm, granular, softens with ripening |
| Flavor | Slightly sour, aromatic |
| Aroma | Aromatic |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Square-shaped |
| Age | Fresh: ≥5 days, Aged: >30 days |
| Rennet Type | Calf rennet |
| Alternative Spellings | PDO Quartirolo Lombardo, Ripe PDO Quartirolo |
| Also Known As | quartiroeul lombard |
What is Quartirolo Lombardo Cheese?
Quartirolo lombardo comes from Lombardy in northern Italy, and its production goes back to the 10th century. It was once seasonal. Cheesemakers made it at the end of summer from the milk of cows that had eaten erba quartirola, the grass that grows back after the third cut. Today it is made all year around. The European Economic Community recognised it, and it was registered on the PDO list with ECC Reg. n. 1107/96.
The milk source area, the cheesemaking area and the ripening area all sit within the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Monza, Pavia and Varese.
Whole or semi-skimmed cow's milk from two or more milkings is coagulated with veal rennet at 35 to 40 C (95 to 104 F) in about 25 minutes. A milk starter culture may be added, but only at the same factory that works the milk. The curd is broken at two separate times, timed by the acid evolution of the whey, until the clumps reach the size of a hazelnut. The mass goes into moulds with its whey and is stewed at 26 to 28 C (79 to 82 F) for 4 to 24 hours, then salted dry or in a brine bath.
Ripening takes place in cells at 2 to 8 C (36 to 46 F) with 85 to 90 percent relative humidity. No treatment of the rind is allowed. The soft-curd version ages 5 to 30 days. Past 30 days it is sold as aged quartirolo lombardo.
A wheel is a rectangular block with straight sides and weighs 1.5 to 3.5 kg (3.3 to 7.7 lb). The rind is thin and soft, white-pink at first ageing and grey-green with reddish tones later. Inside, the curd is cohesive and slightly gummy, crumbly, sometimes with a few small detachments, and it turns more compact and soft as ageing goes on. Colour runs from white to straw-white and deepens in older cheese. The flavour is distinctive and slightly sour, aromatic when young and more aromatic at full ageing. Fat in dry matter is not less than 30 percent for cheese made from semi-skimmed milk.
How Does Quartirolo Lombardo Cheese Compare?
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