proprietary name of a type of mild, creamy cheese, 1935, Italian literally "beautiful country or region." See belle + paesan.
Entries linking to bel paese
belle n.
"beautiful woman well-dressed; reigning beauty," 1620s, from French belle, from Old French bele, from Latin bella, fem. of bellus "beautiful, fair," from PIE *dwenelo-, diminutive form of root *deu- (2) "to do, perform; show favor, revere." "The dim. meaning is the reason why bellus was originally used to refer to women and children; it was applied to men only ironically" [de Vaan].
paesan n.
1930s, "fellow countryman, native of one's own country," from Italian dialect, from Late Latin pagensis "peasant, rustic" (see peasant). Spanish form paisano attested in English (New Mexico) from 1844.