DESCRIPTION, HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PDO
Valtellina Casera is a semi-fat, semi-cooked and semi-hard cheese made exclusively with partially skimmed milk from traditional breeds of cattle in the province of Sondrio. This makes it commendable from an organoleptic point of view and suitable for everyday consumption. The cattle are fed mainly on fodder from the production area. At one time, Valtellina Casera was only produced in winter; today, breeders manage to ensure year-round production thanks to some herds that remain stationary on the valley floor.
The milk, obtained from two or more milkings, is first partially skimmed and then undergoes curdling thanks to the spontaneous development of the cheese microflora. Coagulation is achieved with the use of calf rennet. The curd is then cooked at a temperature of 40 to 45 °C for about 30 minutes. This is followed by breaking the curd up into clumps the size of corn kernels.
Once extracted, the paste is placed in moulds that repeatedly bear the words ‘Valtellina Casera’, preceded by a stylised cheese wheel. The paste is also pressed gently for about 8-12 hours and then dry salted or brined. The wheels are aged in dedicated ripening rooms, at a temperature of 6-13 °C and a relative humidity of not less than 80 %, for a minimum of seventy days. Starting from the 70th day following the production date, the Consorzio di Tutela, after a positive inspection, affixes its brand on the cheeses.
DOP Valtellina Casera has a cylindrical, regular shape, with flat surfaces and a straight side. The diameter is between 30 and 45 centimetres and the side is 8-10 centimetres high. Its weight can vary between 7 and 12 kg, depending on the wheel’s height and diameter.
Valtellina Casera has a thin (2-4 millimetres), firm rind; the paste is white-to-straw yellow and its colour intensifies as the cheese matures. The paste is of medium texture, elastic, with fine, diffuse eye formation.
– DOP Valtellina Casera: typical processing and characteristics
As ripening proceeds, the paste thickens and its colour intensifies. The cheese has a sweet, milky flavour that becomes more intense and richer as ageing proceeds, acquiring notes of dried fruit and hay. Fresh Valtellina Casera can also be used in flakes as a condiment: it pairs very well with buckwheat specialities and is a primary ingredient of some typical Valtellina dishes, like pizzoccheri and sciatt.
DOP Valtellina Casera has a dual marking system, intended to protect consumers:
– the origin mark: affixed in bas-relief by the producer by means of a marking hoop which bears, in addition to the words ‘Valtellina Casera’, the producer’s identification number, the EC mark of the dairy and the production date.
– the quality mark: the brand is affixed by the Consorzio di Tutela only on the cheese wheels that comply with the specifications and are at least 70 days old. The branded mark shows a stylised wheel of cheese from which an open ‘V’ separates a wedge representing the characteristic slice of cheese.
Both marks appear on the side of the cheese wheel, and whole cheese wheels may come with a paper disc on one face.
Consortium
CONSORTIUM FOR THE PROTECTION OF VALTELLINA CASERA E BITTO
Consortium for the protection of Valtellina Casera and Bitto Cheeses (C.T.C.B.) was founded on 2 October 1995, on the initiative of Bitto and Valtellina Casera cheese makers and other dairy producers in the province of Sondrio, with the aim of safeguarding the uniqueness of Valtellina DOP cheeses.
Leading this venture were 35 founding members, representing the production chains of these two DOP cheeses.
In 1996, the Protected Designation of Origin was obtained together with the approval of the respective Production Specifications (Regulation No. 1263 of 01/07/1996), which set out the exact timing, knowledge and rules to follow in order to guarantee the products and protect consumers. Since 1998, the certifying and guaranteeing body is the CSQA, in Thiene (province of Vicenza).
The production area of Valtellina Casera is the province of Sondrio, while Bitto is produced in all of the province’s mountain pastures and in some areas of the provinces of Lecco and Bergamo that border on Sondrio, in the area known as Pizzo dei tre Signori.
Among other statutory objectives, the Consortium pursues the protection and valorisation of the Valtellina Casera and Bitto DOP cheeses and the promotion of domestic consumption and exports.
The consortium’s many activities include
– providing adequate technical assistance to producers so as to foster ongoing product quality improvement;
– inspecting each single cheese wheel: only the cheeses that show the quality and typical characteristics envisaged by the production specifications will obtain the Consortium’s brand and be marketed within the DOP circuit
– supporting cheese makers and agers in fulfilling the obligations set forth in the Control Plans drawn by the certifying body on the basis of the Production Specifications
– supervising the production and trade of these cheeses, so as to also protect consumers by guaranteeing product ‘typicality’
– promoting the products by participating in local, national and international events and producing promotional and publicity materials.
To date, C.T.C.B. is the only consortium of protection in Italy that represents two DOP productions.
www.valtellinacaseraebittodop.it
info@ctcb.it
Tel. 0342 201984
Via Piazzi, 23, 23100 Sondrio
Recipe
DOUBLE-COOKED CASERA DOP SOUFFLÉ WITH APPLE AND WALNUT SALAD
4 people
Preparation: 30′ + rest
Cooking: 30′
Ingredients: – 200 g fresh Casera DOP – 40 g aged Casera DOP – 25 g flour 00 – 2.4 dl milk – 80 g butter – 6 egg yolks – 4 egg whites – 3 sprigs thyme – 1 shallot – 2 Annurche apples – 100 g Valerian saladì – 40 g walnut kernels – chives – black pepper – salt
Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the shallots, peeled and cut in half, and the thyme sprigs, and slowly heat the milk to the boiling point. Remove the shallots and thyme, add the sifted flour while stirring at the same time with a small whisk, and cook over a low flame for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 60 g of diced butter, fresh Casera DOP grated with a coarse-hole grater, a grinding of pepper and a pinch of salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool, add the yolks separated from the egg whites and stir. Add the beaten egg whites and mix with a spatula. Butter 4 smooth pudding molds 10 cm in diameter, sprinkle inside with grated aged Casera DOP, pour in the prepared mixture. Cover the molds with aluminum foil and steam for 15 minutes. Remove them from the steamer, let them rest for 10 minutes and invert them onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. When cool, transfer them to the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and then bake them in a preheated oven at 200° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer them to plates, add a grind of pepper and accompany to taste with sonnet mixed with the hulled and thinly sliced apples, chopped walnuts and chopped chives.
