Valtellina Casera Dop
The history of Valtellina Casera is strongly associated to the expansion of the social diary farms in the province of the northern town of Sondrio. The first diary farms documented date back to 1500 and document the ancient origins of this cheese. In the following centuries the diary farms were expanded to all the counties, and became a point of reference and a school of associative living for all its members. With regards the name 'Casera' from the Latin CASEUS, this indicates the typical cellar in Valtellina where traditional cheese is kept in maturation.
Consumption
The Valtellina Casera is a delicious delicate ingredient to add to salads and to many other dishes. It can also be eater on its own, especially after an early maturation, maybe accompanied by red wine. In the kitchen it is an essential element for many tasty traditional recipes of the Lombardy area, such as Pizzoccheri, Sciatt e Taroz.
Identification
The distinctive marks of Valtellina Casera Dop
The authentic Valtellina Casera Dop can be recognized by the designation of origin mark stamped on the heel of the wheel, and by the paper labels depicting a typical Valtellina landscape affixed to the flat sides.
I.D. card
- Type
- Semi hard cheese from cow milk
- Description
- The Valtellina Casera is cylindrical in shape and is a low-fat cheese made from semi cooked dough. Its external aspect is composed of a compact crust of a yellowish colour, which becomes more intense with maturation. The dough is characterised by its compact structure, with the presence of fine and diffused openness; when cut the colour can vary from white to yellow, according to the maturation phase. The weight of the forms varies from 7 to 12 kg
- Characteristics
- The taste is sweet with a touch of dried fruit, and is very delicate, becoming more intense as the maturation period proceeds
- Area of production
- The production area of Valtellina Casera Pdo includes the whole territory of the Sondrio province
- Selling period
- All year round
- Normative references
- European registration with Council regulation (CE) n. 1263/96 issued on GUCE L 163/96, 2nd July 1996
