A reader asked me recently about Stracchino, a cheese he had sampled in Italy but couldn't find in the Bay Area. We rarely see Stracchino here, probably because it is so fresh that it must travel by air, and it doesn't have the following of mozzarella or burrata – unripened Italian cheeses that demand immediate consumption. Stracchino that doesn't sell in a couple of weeks is a lost cause.
But occasionally I do spot imported Stracchino in stores. Most of the local supply goes to restaurants, such as Bar Bambino, Rose Pistola and Farina, all in San Francisco. That should tell you something: Stracchino is a superb melting cheese, luscious on pizza (in place of mozzarella, for example), polenta and toast.
Made in Northern Italy – Piedmont and Lombardy, primarily – from cow's milk or mixed milk, Stracchino was the inspiration for Bellwether Farms' luscious Crescenza. If you know that soft, supple Sonoma County cheese, you know what to expect from Italian Stracchino, a rindless, oozy cheese when ripe, with a yeasty aroma and tart finish.
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