A veined Italian blue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a nutty aroma and a 'bite' from its blue veining.

Starter bacteria are added to the milk, along with spores of the mould Penicillium glaucum. Penicillium roqueforti may also be used. The whey is then removed during curding and the result aged at low temperatures. During the aging process metal rods are quickly inserted and removed, creating air channels that allow the mold spores to grow into hyphae and cause the cheese's characteristic veining. Gorgonzola is typically aged for 3 to 4 months. The length of the aging process determines the consistency of the cheese, which gets firmer as it ripens.

There are two varieties of Gorgonzola, which differ mainly in their age: Gorgonzola Dolce (also called Sweet Gorgonzola or Dolcelatte) and Gorgonzola Piccante (also called Gorgonzola Naturale, Gorgonzola Montagna or Mountain Gorgonzola).