Along with parmigiano reggiano and grana padano, Gorgonzola is the most famous of Italian cheeses.

It is a soft cheese or 'pasta cruda' made from full cream cow's milk. The characteristic blue streaks in the cheese are mold which forms during the maturing period.

It is also classed as an 'erborinato', which derives from the local dialect  farm area is slowly becoming a suburb of the big city.

There are still traces of the old stables and factories in the small town center and it is wmeaning 'parsley' as the blue streaks suggested chopped pieces.

The cheese's origins are arguably Piemontese. Even today the zone of production includes Novara, Vercelli and Cuneo in that province.

All are entitled to label their produce with the official mark of quality.

Legend states that in the 12th century a herdsman was travelling to summer pastures in Valsassina when he left a version of Gorgonzola in the town.

The cheese was appropriated by the local population and the rest, as they say, is history.

The very cheesey website of the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Gorgonzola - www.gorgonzola.com

The town of Gorgonzola is on the very outskirts of Milan. What was once aorth a 30 minute stop.