Italian cheeses and mushrooms

There is no legal requirement in Italy for cheeses to be pasteurised, same applies for other countries in Europe. Some of the best cheeses are not pasteurised, and these cannot be exported to the USA because of US restrictions. A restriction the Italians regard as ridiculous. The inverse applies with genetically modified food, which must be labelled as such in the EU, but not in the USA. Many people in Europe would not eat genetically modified food on principle, hence the consumer pressure that it all be labelled.

I suggest you have some labels printed out. explaining in Italian exactly what your husband can and cannot eat, and why. Then you can show this to the waiter whenever you go into a restaurant. You will need the help of a native Italian speaker (and possibly one who is a dietician) to prepare these labels, though you may be able to get them on he internet.

Apparently, raw milk cheese does not have to be so labeled ( latte crudo) although I've seen it labeled so frequently in the markets. Parmigiano is made from raw milk, taleggio is made from either raw or pasteurized, and Gorgonzola is made from pasteurized (go figure). This site http://www.formaggio.it/ gives details on how each type of cheese is made and includes 'crudo or pastorizzato' in the section called 'Tecnologia di Lavorazione'. Looks like you'll have to become an cheese expert.

I don't know about cheese, but Italian chefs/ waiters are very accommodating about food intolerances, just be sure you can let them know what you need to avoid.

The FDA makes a distinction between hard cheeses and soft cheeses on its page about avoiding raw milk. It's under Okay to Eat / Unsafe to Eat here http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079516.htm

Thanks very much for your various comments, especially to Mike for ferreting out the helpful websites. Yep, the 600+ cheese descriptions, all in Italian, was pretty overwhelming but worth struggling through some of it. Inspired to search further, I found a huge resource in English. Guida Garubbo.com (The Art and Science of Italian Cooking) has a Glossary section that lists detailed descriptions of tons of cheeses, cured meats, and just about any Italian food ingredient one could think of. In the cheese descriptions it notes pasteurized or not.

Distinction between soft and hard cheese is good to know. US Customs allows "hard cheese" but does not allow "soft cheese". I bought back some very aged Asiago hard cheese that didn't need refrigeration. My regret was not bringing back a much bigger piece. For some reason "Asiago" cheese available in the US is not made in Asiago, Italy.

While it might be possible to find some raw mushrooms on a salad, I feel sure that I haven't seen uncooked mushrooms served in Italian restaurants, unless you count fresh, shaved truffles.

I agree with Laura regarding the mushrooms. I am vegan and in three visits to Italy do not remember ever getting raw mushrooms or in fact cooked mushrooms. Since I don't eat dairy at all I didn't feel I missed out on anything by not eating cheeses!

Best of luck to your husband and I hope this will be the first of many trips to Italy for him.

Susan, my wife and I are both vegetarian - sometimes vegan. We never have had problems traveling in Europe - Italy and even Spain. Depending on what cities you are traveling, there is likely to be vegetarian or even vegan restaurants. So, bottom line, just as it's been easy for us to avoid meat, it is really not a problem to avoid dairy or cheese either. Just know what your ordering and know what to ask for. Don't assume anything.

If you don't have a smart phone, this might be helpful. Print out the relevant stuff and take it with you:

http://nomilktoday.curlybracket.org/

Take multiple copies. You can print it in small sizes and just hand it to the waiter or host before you even sit down to make sure they understand or have things on the menu. You might be surprised and they might literally make something off menu for you.

Do some research in advance you will likely find restaurants where you are going. Also, there are so many markets, you will easily find safe things.

As I said, this was more difficult for us in Spain. Jamon is in everything, even potato chips.

Yes, as I commented to a tourist office staffer in Spain today, you can always find a cheese sandwich here as long as you don't mind removing the ham.

I think Italy is probably one of the best possible destinations for people with dietary restrictions. The country has mobilized to help the folks who are gluten-intolerant, for example. You don't see "vegetarian" dishes with seafood contents, and I never saw a mushroom on a plate of grilled vegetables--which is common in the Balkans and Spain. (Those mushrooms are cooked, of course, but I feel for folks who are allergic to them.)

Recently, I discovered that US Customs has broadened the cheeses allowed. Only really fresh cheese is prohibited including ricotta and cheeses that 'can be poured like cream'. Mozzarella is permitted now. So the question becomes: Can a traveler make it to their home refrigerator before it spoils?

I don't know if it's pasteurized or not but go to Pienza and get a hunk of their Pecorino. I carried it around in my day bag for about four days, ate it with some fresh bread whenever I wanted a snack. Can't get it at home, similar to a Gruyere or Comte.