Italy is a major player in the EU dairy industry. It is not the biggest producer, Germany is, but in terms of exports to France – arguably a telling statistic – Italy is Number 1 in Europe…
As you will be aware, the French and the Italians have a friendly little argument going on between them over who produces the best food and wine, over which of the two great nations has the greatest gastronomic culture and culinary heritage. When it comes to cheese, the French win the argument – quite comfortably – and yet, without Italian cheese, the dining tables of Europe would be a lot poorer. The English make some good cheeses too, and so do the Germans, not to mention the Spanish, the Swiss and the Dutch. But, if we had to, we could get by without them. Without mozzarella, however, a cheese from Campania, pizza simply wouldn’t be the same. Without the hard cheeses of the north – Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano – the world would have nothing to season its pasta with. And then there is Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Provolone, Asiago, Taleggio, Fontina… All cheeses that have many imitators but few equals, even in France.
