By infopadweb 4 April 2024
STELVIO DOP
 |
 |
DESCRIPTION, HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DOP
The “Stelvio DOP” is a typical mountain cheese made from milk derived from alpine farms in South Tyrol and is produced by the South Tyrolean dairy of Mila – Latte Montagna Alto Adige as well as at the dairy of Burgeis/Burgusio. The fresh milk used for its production is collected daily from 350 mountain farms in South Tyrol (97% of which are located at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters above sea level) and is processed very quickly. All the farms are in the province of Bolzano: in the Venosta Valley, Burgraviato, Salto-Sciliar, Pusteria Valley, Isarco Valley, and in the territory of the municipality of Bolzano.
The “Stelvio DOP” production takes place according to precise criteria, defined within the so-called production regulations. Every single step is predetermined and documented with the utmost care. The maturing of the cheese lasts at least 60 days. The wheels must weigh between 8 and 10 kg.
“It must last forever,” explains Markus Weber, from the Mila cheese development department. If necessary, small amounts of material are taken from this mother culture for multiplication. For this purpose, the frozen bacteria are dissolved in water and “fed” with lactic acid components. To promote the growth of the bacteria, the glass bulbs in which they float must be continuously agitated. This is the only way to ensure a constant supply of oxygen. Within two or three days, billions of new bacteria are thus obtained. “At room temperature, our bacterial strains multiply at a dizzying rate. To multiply, they have to “dance,” says Florian Pueland, production manager. Once again in the agitator at the dairy in Brunico in the Val Pusteria valley, three containers “dance,” kept constantly in motion. It takes two to three days before the culture reaches the right pH value and can be added to the salt solution.
The cheese is enclosed by a firm, dry rind, pale yellow to dark yellow in color. The rind is firm and rough to the touch; this is due to the treatment with red culture from which the cheese’s typical aroma is derived. The interior of “Stelvio DOP” is light- to straw-yellow depending on the time of year. The texture of the cheese is enriched by regular holes with round holes arranged individually.
The texture on the palate is very soft and creamy and the cheese melts in the mouth almost as if it were butter. A very pleasant texture that is appreciated by many.
The aroma of the cheese has tones of milk, roasting and nuts. It can be eaten in combination with bacon, apples, and rustic bread. It lends itself very well to being melted and consumed with polenta or vegetables. It is ideal for making cheese dumplings or fondue.
Consortium
THE CONSORTIUM FOR THE PROTECTION OF STELVIO DOP
The intense and elegant taste from ancient Tirol: in 2007, the “Stelvio” went down in history as the first cheese from South Tyrol to achieve the DOP label, synonymous with high quality, authenticity, tradition and guarantee of origin.
The elements that substantiate the origin of “Stelvio” cheese have clear historical references that define cheese-making tradition, place of origin and the relationship of the area in which it is made to the production zones defined in the disciplinary.
The widespread existence of Schwaigen – farms in the 13th through the 16th century that paid taxes to landowners in the form of cheese – throughout Tyrol is well documented in land registers of the time. That cheese was used as a medium of exchange proves the importance of this product in the economic, and thus social, structure of the population of that time.
The first traces of the production of “Stelvio” date back to 1914, where in some documents of the dairy in Stilfs (Stelvio) the production of this cheese is mentioned.
The “Consorzio Stelvio DOP ” was formed in 2008, when the raw milk producers and the producers of “Stelvio DOP” cheese joined forces with the aim of protecting, promoting and informing the consumer, as well as protecting the general interests concerning the “Stelvio DOP” product according to the existing regulations.
Recipe
CELERIAC, POTATO AND FENNEL MOUSSE WITH STELVIO DOP AND WALNUTS
| 4 people Preparation: 15′ Cooking: 15′ |
 |
Ingredients:
– 200 g Stelvio DOP
– 200 g celeriac
– 200 g potatoes
– 200 g fennel
– 1 lemon
– 40 g walnut kernels
– 4 slices cereal bread
– extra virgin olive oil
– black pepper
– salt
Clean the celeriac, fennel and potatoes and keep the green leaves from the fennel aside. Cut the vegetables into wedges and cook them in a saucepan of boiling salted water acidulated with the juice of half a lemon for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain them and let them dry. Blend the vegetables with the juice of the remaining half lemon, a pinch of salt, a grinding of pepper, and 4 tablespoons of oil and divide the mousse among 4 small bowls. Coarsely chop the walnut kernels and sprinkle them over the mousse along with the finely chopped fennel leaves. Serve with the Stelvio DOP cut into sticks and the toasted bread.
Regioni
STELVIO DOP
| Trentino Alto Adige |  |
