Gorgonzola DOP is a blue-veined, soft, raw-curd cheese made from whole cow's milk, named after a small Lombardy town near Milan where it is said to have originated in the 12th century to recover a curd forgotten the previous day.

The Piccante version of Gorgonzola PDO has pronounced blue/green veins, a crumbly, dry paste with a strong flavour due to both the type of mould and the prolonged ripening period.