The 8 Best Gorgonzola Substitutes for Your Recipes
He gorgonzola It is a blue marbled cheese that has been produced for centuries in Gorgonzola, a city near Milan in northern Italy. Gorgonzola is one of the most well-known and beloved cheeses, especially appreciated by cheese lovers around the world.
If you want to make a recipe that calls for gorgonzola but you don’t have it on hand, or you haven’t found it in the supermarket, here you go the best gorgonzola substitutes for your recipes.
The Best Gorgonzola Substitutes
Gorgonzola cheese is the best known of the Italian blue-veined cheeses and gets its name from Gorgonzola, a town outside of Milan, where it was originally made and is still produced today.
The main characteristic of Gorgonzola are the blue streaks that come from the molds released in the milk during the manufacturing process: when it ages, they form the well-known blue-green streaks and spots.
You can easily find mild and spicy versions of this uncooked cow’s milk cheese on the market, and both can be very versatile in the kitchen.
Gorgonzola is usually served with mascarpone in a creamy sauce, with chopped hazelnuts, and can be enjoyed with fruit, vegetables, chocolate jams, honey, and mostarda. It also goes very well with raw vegetables or as the main ingredient in a salad dressing.
It goes well with cooked vegetables like potatoes and zucchini, fresh fruit like figs and apples, and even dried fruit. It is also common to mix it with jams, mustards and vegetable sauces.
Whichever ingredient you combine it with, remember that gorgonzola should be kept at room temperature for at least half an hour to an hour before eating it, to ensure you get the most out of its unique gorgonzola flavor.
Fresh gorgonzola can be kept in the fridge for 5-6 days, wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil, and in a closed airtight container.
Gorgonzola is used in countless and varied recipes, from polenta to risotto, so it’s great to have an idea of what cheeses you might eventually use instead. Here are the best gorgonzola substitutes we recommend!
1. Roquefort
The first gorgonzola substitute we are going to talk about is Roquefort cheese, made from sheep’s milk and with a tangy flavor that is very similar to gorgonzola.
The original Roquefort comes from the south of France. You can find similar cheeses produced elsewhere in the world, but the only cheese that can bear the Roquefort name is the one that is aged in the natural Combalou caves in Roquefort-Sur-Soulzon, as per European policy.
This cheese is white, spicy and slightly moist, with a very characteristic smell and taste: the blue mold veins are the element that provides the spicy flavor. Roquefort has no rind, but the outside is edible.
Roquefort cheese is a bit creamier than gorgonzola, but it can work as a surprising substitute due to the similar flavor of gorgonzola, although the flavor is a bit milder.
2. Bleu d’Auvergne
The second substitute for gorgonzola cheese is Bleu d’Auvergne, another French cheese made from cow’s milk and characterized by its blue mold veins, just like gorgonzola.
Bleu d’Auvergne has a strong, pungent flavor, slightly spicier than gorgonzola, but less so than other blue cheeses. It’s salty, creamy and moist, with a buttery flavor.
Keep in mind that Bleu d’Auvergne reaches its full flavor when fully ripe, so if you want to substitute the intensity of Gorgonzola, you should opt for a longer-aged Bleu d’Auvergne.
Bleu d’Auvergne is used in a variety of recipes, from salad dressing to pasta seasoning, and can also be used as a cheese for snacks or cheese boards. Pairs well with red wines and dark beers.
3. Sweet Gorgonzola
Another really good gorgonzola alternative is actually another version of gorgonzola: gorgonzola dolce, which means “sweet gorgonzola” in Italian and is basically a milder version. Gorgonzola and gorgonzola dolce can be used almost interchangeably, because gorgonzola is also a good substitute for gorgonzola dolce.
Gorgonzola dolce is a soft, buttery cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It’s sweeter and not as intense as gorgonzola, so it can be a great option to replace regular gorgonzola if you don’t really like the taste of it.
The gorgonzola dolce has a pale yellow color and a melting paste, with a wide distribution of blue and green veins. It must be matured for a minimum of 45 days to really develop its characteristics, and it has a slightly softer texture than Gorgonzola.
Gorgonzola dolce can be used to flavor all kinds of pasta and risotto dishes, and it is also used in the preparation of sauces and creams. It combines well with red and white wines, especially if they are aged.
4. Goat cheese
If you’re looking for a gorgonzola substitute but don’t really like the intensity of its flavor, goat cheese can be a surprising idea: it goes well with many foods, and its creaminess can perfectly replicate gorgonzola in many dishes.
Goat cheese is quite versatile: you can use it crumbled in salads, to flavor a sandwich or a pasta dish, and you can even use it on a cheese board, as it goes well with almost anything that goes with it.
Another very good advantage of using goat cheese is that it has a lower fat content, so it is perfect if you are trying to eat healthy.
5. Stilton cheese
Stilton is another cheese like gorgonzola, and probably one of your best options when looking for something close to the original.
Stilton is an English cheese with a beautiful interior dotted with blue mold. The texture is crumbly and smooth, the flavor is intense and rich, with creamy and nutty notes, and a salty and tart finish that makes it quite similar to Gorgonzola.
Note that there is a difference between blue Stilton, which is much more like Gorgonzola in flavor, and white Stilton, which is creamier and a bit smoother.
Another thing to keep in mind is that young Stilton has a slightly tart flavor, while aged Stilton becomes smoother and creamier, and can easily be used in place of Gorgonzola in almost any recipe you call for.
Stilton cheese can be used in pasta dishes, salads, and risottos, but it can also be used in desserts, mixed with honey, nuts, and fresh fruit like apples.
6. Danish Blue
Another cheese similar to gorgonzola is Danish blue, also known as Danablu, which belongs to the same family of blue cheeses and is also made from cow’s milk.
The taste of Danish blue is sharp and salty, as it contains 25-30% salt, and is quite similar to the taste of gorgonzola. Danish blue is also a very good source of protein and calcium.
Using Danish blue as a substitute for gorgonzola will allow you to achieve an extraordinarily creamy consistency in soups or pasta dishes, and this cheese also pairs very well with beef, veal or pork.
7. Fourme d’Ambert
Another amazing substitute for gorgonzola cheese is Fourme d’Ambert, one of the oldest cheeses in France that belongs to the same family of blue cheeses as gorgonzola.
Fourme d’Ambert is made from raw cow’s milk and has a characteristic narrow, cylindrical shape. It is inoculated with the same fungus that is used to make roquefort, stilton and gorgonzola, and then aged for at least 28 days.
The interior of the cheese is creamy white and marked with blue veins, and the texture is creamy and open. Fourme d’Ambert has a smooth, balanced flavor, with hints of butter and cream, and is generally a good substitute for Gorgonzola.
It is usually paired with wine, especially if honey is added, but it can also be eaten as a snack with bread and fruit or crumbled on top of salads.
8. Shropshire Blue
One last great gorgonzola substitute is Shropshire blue, a UK-made cow’s milk cheese whose blue veins come from the same fungus used to produce Stilton, Danish blue and Roquefort.
Shropshire blue is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and vegetable rennet, and its orange color comes from the addition of annatto, an all-natural food coloring that is also used for cheddar.
Its texture is smooth and its flavor is strong and spicy, with an acid aroma and a sour note that makes it really similar to gorgonzola.
You can use it in salads, pasta dishes and even risotto – the only thing to keep in mind is that the color is obviously quite different from gorgonzola, so if that’s a deterrent for you, you should choose another one. stuff.
How to Choose a Gorgonzola Substitute
All of the alternatives we’ve discussed work surprisingly well as gorgonzola substitutes, so choose the best option based on your needs, but also your personal taste.
You can easily divide substitutes into two main categories: those with a similar taste and flavor, and those with a milder flavor.
If you’re looking for a fairly similar-tasting gorgonzola substitute, your best options are Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, Stilton, Danish Blue, and Fourme d’Ambert.
If you’re looking for a substitute because you don’t like the taste and want something milder, your best options are gorgonzola dolce or goat cheese.
Shropshire blue is an amazing substitute if you’re looking for a similar flavor, but keep in mind that the color is very different from gorgonzola.