The cheese has a thin crust and a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang.

The cheese was solely produced in the Val Taleggio until the late 1800s, when some production moved to the Lombardy plain to the south.

The cheese is formed into square blocks[2] and set on wood shelves in chambers, sometimes in caves as per tradition, and matures within six to ten weeks.

It is washed once a week with a seawater sponge to prevent mould growth and to form an orange or rose crust.

[5]: 456  The ripening cheese has been traditionally stored in caves near Valsassina, in which gentle breezes within spread the moulds growing in its rind.