Lombardy · Italy
Taleggio.
Taleggio melts on your tongue with a creamy, yielding texture while its washed rind delivers an earthy, almost mushroomy funk that belies its mild temperament. There's a subtle fruity brightness underneath—stone fruit and tangy notes—that keeps the pungent aromatics from overwhelming, making this a cheese of surprising balance and restraint. The aroma is bold and peppery, but the flavor is a gentle, salty whisper.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Taleggio is named after the Val Taleggio in the Orobian Alps of Lombardy, where the cheese has been made since at least the 10th century. Merchants' records from Milan's medieval markets list 'strachitunt' (a related style) as early as 1200.
The traditional practice of aging on wooden boards in cool, high-altitude caves with sea-brine-washed rinds gave the cheese its characteristic pink-brown crust and mild but aromatic interior. Unlike most washed-rind cheeses, Taleggio's flavor is milder than its assertive smell suggests. PDO status in 1996 codified its geographic origin requirements.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Washed-rind
- Rind
- washed
- Age
- 1–2 mo
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are calibrated against reference cheeses. This is Taleggio's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Taleggio.
42 pairings across 5 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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