September is National Italian Cheese Month — a month dedicated to some of the most delicious cheeses in the world. When people think of Italian cheeses, they often only think of Mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, but there are many other cheeses that people should try during this month.

Some of our favorite Italian cheeses are Ricotta, Asiago, Burrata, Bel Paese, Stracchino, and Taleggio. With this selection of cheeses, about a million and a half different dishes can be made. Dishes that not only provide sustenance but also add a lot of flavor to a person’s life. And that’s why we think everyone should observe this month when it rolls around every year.

The History of National Italian Cheese Month

Even though Italians have been making cheese since ancient Rome, they didn’t get serious about their cheesemaking until the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, just about every household across Europe made their own cheese, but it was the Italians who industrialized the process.

We can’t go into the history too deeply, but let us just say that monasteries all across Italy became very active in cheesemaking. Although Italian cheeses have been made for thousands of years, a month celebrating them didn’t come about until 2017.

This is when Galbani Cheese founded National Italian Cheese Month. They created this month to celebrate the variety of Italian cheese that is available — which is about 600 different varieties at the time of writing this article.

Fun Facts About Italian Cheese

In our humble opinion, you can’t cover a month known as National Italian Cheese Month without also covering some fun facts about Italian cheeses. So we took it upon ourselves to research these cheeses and then select what we consider to be the tastiest facts about them. The below facts are the fruit of our research.

• Formaggio comes from the Greek word “Phormos.” This was the name of the box where curd was put to give it a wheel shape.
• Although it isn’t proven, it’s believed that Formaggio originated in the Middle East.
• Pecorino is made in Tuscany using sheep’s milk.
• Pecorino is also made in Sicily and Sardinia.

Observing National Italian Cheese Month

National Italian Cheese Month is best observed by enjoying your favorite variety of Italian cheese. Since there are hundreds of varieties available, you could try several different types of these cheeses every day during this month and never repeat. Whatever type of Italian cheese you choose to serve, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalItalianCheeseMonth on social media to tell us about it.