FSR July 2023

TRENDING ON THE MENU // Specialty Cheese

of other noteworthy creative applica tions, Alfaro says he’s also seen steak, pork, and gourmet sandwiches served with gorgonzola sauce, as well as seared steak finished with gorgonzola and a quick char. Well-sourced, high-quality gorgon zola also creates room for higher mar gins, as consumers typically don’t mind paying more for premium ingredients if they see them as an indulgence. “Oper ators can di erentiate by the cheeses they o er on their menu, and the per ception that it’s more upscale,” Alfaro says. “Don’t be afraid to call it out, and educate your sta on the story behind it. It will add value.” BelGioioso has perfected gorgonzola cheeses using artisan methods, aging 90 days in special caves, creating a sharper avor than blue and a softer texture. Bel Gioioso’s three gorgonzola varieties pro vide a range of options so restaurants can tailor to their own unique appli cations. e varieties include Crumbly Gorgonzola as well as Cow and Sheep’s Milk Gorgonzola—a blend with a deep earthy aroma and smooth texture—and CreamyGorg ® , a creamier, approachable starter cheese that’s known for its dis tinctness. “CreamyGorg ® is a gateway to try gorgonzola cheese for people who haven’t before,” says Sofia Auricchio Krans, fth-generation member of the cheesemaking family behind BelGioioso. “It has a soft, creamy, buttery feel; it’s got a little of the earthy aroma of the bene - cial mold. Once guests taste it, they love the mild and unique avor.” “Our master cheesemakers are delib erate with the elements of time, tem perature, and humidity to create the unique varieties of blue and gorgonzola cheeses that BelGioioso o ers. Each vari ety should be savored to pick up on deli cate details manicured by our traditional artisan methods,” says Auricchio Krans. Telling the story behind premium ingredients can help restaurants bring their customers an elevated experience— and generate more pro t for the bottom line. BelGioioso’s cheeses help cultivate the sense of indulgence consumers are searching for right now.

“Operators can differentiate by the cheeses they offer on their menu and the perception that it’s more upscale.”

BELGIOIOSO CHEESE (3) CHEFS ARE USING GORGONZOLA TO REINVENT RECIPES, ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS, AND INCREASE MARGINS.

applications, especially pasta and pizza, and it’s aged longer than standard blue cheese. This allows it to add a deeper, richer avor to dishes. ere’s still plenty of room for chef education around gor gonzola, with menu penetration averag ing around 11 percent. Incorporating more gorgonzola into the menu can help restaurants transcend seasonal norms and di erentiate them selves. Blue cheese is traditionally asso ciated strongly with wings and football season, while gorgonzola sees an uptick in the spring, frequently featured on sal

ads. Restaurants can switch this up; gor gonzola, for example, can bring more dynamic flavors to dishes that most often feature blue cheese, such as black and blue burgers. Chefs are using gorgonzola to trans form standby recipes into extraordinary new creations that can draw in new cus tomers. Gorgonzola’s presence in trend forward cauli ower dishes, for instance, has skyrocketed in the last four years— according to Datassential, menu pen etration for cauliflower with gorgon zola increased by 124 percent. In terms

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JULY 2023 | SPONSORED BY BELGIOIOSO CHEESE, INC.