EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN CHEESE CAMPAIGN 2021

ABOUT THE PROJECT

In the food industry, chefs who are very active on social media and bloggers lead the main culinary trends by attracting followers to their platforms. Celebrity chefs and bloggers have a huge impact on what we cook and eat, and thus indirectly on the purchases we make as well. In this panorama, in which famous chefs and bloggers redefine the universe of food and recipes, they have become the perfect spokespersons to introduce Canadians to authentic Italian cheeses as well as to inspire a deeper appreciation in Canadians who are already familiar with the product.

The “EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN CHEESE CAMPAIGN 2021” is a digital and social media campaign that will run from September-December 2021, with the main focus of enticing over 12 million Canadians to discover authentic Italian cheeses and their peculiarities. This, in turn, will result in the purchase of Made In Italy Cheeses. ITA (Italian Trade Commission) has partnered with some of the leading web platforms, (Delish and Ricardo Media), television (Bell Media) and Chefs (David Rocco, Stefano Faita) and influencers/ bloggers as they will act as ambassadors to highlight Authentic Italian Cheeses. They will delight our senses and appetite highlighting Authentic Italian cheeses, via storytelling and ad hoc recipe creations that they will share on their social media networks.

Italy is the country with the highest variety of cheeses in the world, with over 2500 traditional varieties over 500 commercially recognized cheeses, 300 kinds of cheese with protected designation of origin (P.D.O., P.G.I. and P.A.T.). Italy has so many cheese varieties to offer that it is unparalleled. Why is every cheese so different from one another?

Of course, there are climatic differences between north and south that make a difference. But not only…

Finding Italy on a world map is easy. Its original shape, location in southern Europe and, above all, the peninsula conformation almost exclusively surrounded by the sea are an unequivocal glance for the observer. The territory, long and narrow, attaches itself to the rest of Europe through the highest peaks, the Alps, as if it were a knee joint to the rest of the leg.

Italy is a morphologically united territory with a north-south, north-east, south-west orientation, linked by a backbone, the Apennines. Where everything is extreme. They range from alpine peaks that exceed 4,000 meters, to island territories such as Sicily and Sardinia.

From 30 degrees and above, to zero in the Alps, to African heat. Incredible differences at short distances. Sicily from the Alps is about 1,200 km away. The morphology of the soil, the vegetation, the wild and farmed fauna are strongly related to climate, creating a multitude of diversity. With distinctive factors that also apply to cheeses.

Where a cold climate exists, a cheese that prefers a Mediterranean climate cannot be produced. And vice versa.

This is Italy. Unique, beautiful and good!

THE EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN CHEESES

Authentic Italian Cheese participating in the campaign.

ASIAGO PDO

“Product of the Mountain” is the traditional cheese of the Asiago Plateau. It is strongly characterised by its fresh, milky, slightly floral smell, with a sweet and pleasant taste.

BURRATA

When you cut open a Burrata, it oozes with buttery and creamy panna containing scraps of mozzarella. The cream has a rich flavor and has to be eaten immediately since it is a fresh cheese.

FONTINA PDO

The texture and flavour of Fontina depend on how long it has been aged and it can vary from semi-soft to firm and the flavours from mild and rich to more robust and overpowering.

GORGONZOLA PDO

cheese is creamy and soft, with a peculiar, typical taste. Soft gorgonzola cheese is slightly spicy; spicy gorgonzola, whose curd is more blue-veined, is thicker and more crumbly.

GRANA PADANO PDO

is made from unpasteurised, semi-skimmed cow’s milk from two milking and generally aged for two years. As Grana Padano PDO ages, the flavours become pronounced, savory and complex and the texture becomes more crumbly.

MASCARPONE

is slightly sweet with a hint of acidity. Its rich, creamy texture makes it an indulgent addition to both sweet and savory dishes.

MOZZARELLA VACCINA

cheese has a soft, moist texture and is full of milky flavour. Similar to other fresh cheeses, mozzarella vaccina is high in water content and therefore low on fat.

MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA
CAMPANA PDO

The taste of a Mozzarella di Bufala PDO is always distinct, but at the same time delicate. Once cut, there is a whitish serosity spill with the aroma of lactic ferments.

Parmigiano reggiano
PDO

Parmigiano reggiano PDO

amazing aromas and taste and a unique texture. Delicious, easy to digest and with a host of nutritional benefits, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO always exceeds expectations

PECORINO ROMANO PDO

The taste of the Pecorino Romano is aromatic, lightly spicy and tangy in the table cheese, intensely spicy in the grated cheese.

PECORINO TOSCANO PDO

The unique flavour of Pecorino Toscano PDO is due to the milk. This is exclusively sheep’s milk from flocks reared in the area defined by the Protected Designation of Origin.

PIAVE PDO

is a cooked curd cheese with a compact structure and a delicate, pleasant flavour. It is a cheese that improves with age, developing an increasingly intense and full-bodied taste.

PROVOLONE

semi-hard cheese with taste varying greatly from provolone piccante (sharp, piquant), aged for a minimum of four months and with a very sharp taste, to provolone dolce (sweet) with a very mild taste.

Ricotta

is a whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, and slightly sweet in taste.

TALEGGIO PDO

cheese varies from white to straw-coloured and occasionally contains tiny holes. The flavour is sweet, slightly sour and a vaguely aromatic, sometimes with a hint of truffle. It has a characteristic aroma.