Galbani Bel Paese Semi Soft Cheese

Type: Bel Paese
Price: $13.99 / lb
Strength: Mild
Purchased At: Holiday Market (in Canton, Michigan)
Would Buy Again: Maybe, at a cheaper price

When it comes to eating cheese, I usually like to stay on the mild side. So I am always on the lookout for new mild cheeses to try. When I was reading Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials I saw Bel Paese cheese on a list of mild cheeses. I had not heard of this cheese before and wanted to give it a try. But I found it difficult to find. Finally earlier this week I was at looking at the international cheeses at Holiday Market in Canton, Michigan, and I found it. It was priced higher than I would have liked, so I ended up grabbing the smallest sample I could.

Bel Paese is a semi-soft cheese that originated in Italy. It was created by a man named Egidio Galbani. He was looking to produce a mild cheese to sell in Italy. This is a very creamy cheese made from cow’s milk. It takes two months or less to mature. As for uses it’s a great snack cheese to eat along some fruit. I found it to be a nice compliment to the Red Leicester I was serving on a cheese plate. The creamy, smooth texture and mild taste went well with the more bold, crumbly texture of Red Leicester. I also heard that people use it as they would mozzarella.

Galbani cheese makes and imports Bel Paese but is more known in the US for their fresh mozzarella and mascarpone. These are the only cheeses mentioned on their American website.