Italy has the largest variety of cheeses of any nation in the world, with over 2,500 traditional varieties, of which about 500 are commercially recognized [1] and more than 300 have been granted protected designation of origin status (PDO, PGI and PAT). Fifty-two of them are protected at a European level. Of all the regions, Lombardy has the most such cheeses, with 77 varieties including Granone Lodigiano (ancestor of all Italian granular cheeses such as Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano), mascarpone, and the well-known Gorgonzola blue cheese. The Italian cheeses mozzarella and ricotta are some of the most popular worldwide. (See List of Italian PDO cheeses for a list of those Italian cheeses which have protected designation of origin under EU law, together with their areas of origin.)
In terms of raw production volume, Italy is the third-largest cheese producer in the European Union, behind France and Germany. [2]