The cheese trolley has been a tradition in Italian restaurants since the 1980s and is back in vogue today in fine dining establishments and quality taverns. It is a scenic and tempting way of presenting the customer, at the end of the meal and before desserts, with a selection of dairy products of different textures made from various types of milk. Cheeses can often replace dessert when combined with sweet ingredients such as honey or jams, echoing a custom that has been in use since ancient Romans, who used to eat them together with fresh fruit.
A cheese that is never missing from the trolley of Italian restaurants, and not only, is undoubtedly Gorgonzola Pdo, the most famous blue cheese in the world if we think that more than 5 million wheels are produced each year compared to 3 million for Roquefort (France) and 1 million for Stilton (UK). It is offered in different maturities and in two types: Gorgonzola dolce, which is creamier, and Gorgonzola piccante, which is more mature.
The room attendants’ task is to tell the history, characteristics, and origin of the cheeses on offer, carefully cut and serve the cheeses, and advise the customer on the order of tasting. A great knowledge of the sector is therefore needed, considering that, in Italy alone, 55 Pdo cheeses are recognized and protected at the European level.
While cheese tasting remains an added value that can increase interest in a restaurant, its management requires some attention. From the wheels that must never show yellowing of the paste due to contact with air to the number of cheeses offered, that must be reasonable to avoid waste. For an efficient trolley, many restaurateurs provide the same type of cheese declined in different seasonings, just as they do in so-called “verticals” for fine wines, or opt for a “cheese card.”
