Stracchino is a semi-soft cheese from whole cows milk the Lombardy region of Italy. The name comes from the local Lombardo dialect word "stracca" which means tired. The cheese came from tired herds of cows that were being moved from valleys of the alps down to the plains of Lombardy. It is sometimes called Crescenza or Stracchino di Crescenza. It is made Lombardy and Tuscany. Though originally it was made only part of the year it is currently made year-round.

Stracchino is white, with a creamy taste and mild flavor. It matures in 10-15 days and has a short shelf life. Stracchino is sometimes baked into focaccia.

Gorgonzola was once very similar to Stracchino before it became a blue cheese.

Stracchino is sometimes confused with Tallegio because Tallegio also originated from the milk of "tired cows" migrating from the Alps.

Where to buy

The short shelf life of Stracchino makes it a little hard to find. igourmet.com imports Crescenza from Italy every week. The Belgioioso Cheese from Wisconsin has an American version that can be found in some grocery stores.