Traditional Pizza Cheeses

• The leading types of pizza cheeses are a mixture of semi-soft and hard cheeses. Pressed mozzarella is a semi-soft cheese known for its exquisite melting properties and is the cheese that hangs down in dramatic strands when a pizza slice is cut and served. Provolone is a semi-soft cheese that has a more distinct flavor than mozzarella and also melts well. Parmesan and Romano are hard, aged cheeses that are conventionally finely grated and sprinkled on pizza immediately after it is removed from the oven. Parmigiano reggiano and asiago are good substitutions for Parmesan and Romano but are normally more costly.
  
  

Gourmet Pizza Cheese

• As pizza purveyors strive to meet the tastes of their diverse clientele, they have increased their meat and vegetable options as well as their available cheeses. Fresh buffalo or cow milk mozzarella is a common gourmet pizza cheese choice, as are other soft cheeses, such as ricotta and bel paese, all known for their creamy textures accentuated by melting. Other cheeses favored by pizza connoisseurs include asiago, fontina, caciocavallo, taleggio and gorgonzola.
  
  

Cheese Mixtures

• Many pizza makers use cheese mixtures to make their pizzas. These combinations add a unique taste and depth to the toppings, as well as costing less than non-mixed grated cheese. Typical pizza cheese blends include mozzarella or provolone mixed with Monterey jack, gouda, colby, Swiss, gruyere, cheddar, brick or Muenster.
  
  

Pizza Cheese

• This is a relatively new pizza topping product manufactured by various companies throughout the United States. It looks like mozzarella but since it does not undergo the kneading process of conventional mozzarella, it lacks the stringiness when melted that many pizza eaters desire but has the advantage of not developing an oily surface when melted the way real mozzarella does. The product has ingredients that preclude its identification by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), so its quality standards can only be measured through how it tastes and affects the flavors of other pizza toppings. Some pizza restaurants mix it with conventional mozzarella to add an air of authenticity to it.