Taleggio
Taleggio, a soft, surface-ripened, Stracchino (whole-milk) cheese with a
moldy rind, was first made in the Taleggio Valley in Lombardy, Italy,
after
World War I. The cheeses are about 8 inches square and 2 inches thick
and weigh from 3 1/2 to 4 pounds.
A starter is added to fresh, whole, cow's milk, and the milk is set with
rennet at a temperature between 85 and 90 F. About 30 minutes later,
the curd is cut into walnut-size cubes. When the curd is sufficiently
firm,
it is gathered in a cloth, drained to remove the whey, and then is put
into
forms.
When the cheeses are firm enough to retain their shape, they are removed
from the forms and salted - usually in dry salt but sometimes in brine.
They
are cured for about 2 months at a temperature between 36 and 40 F.
From USDA Agr. Handbook No.54, Cheese Varieties and Descriptions,
George P.Sanders, issued Dec. 1953
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