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Valtellina

Casera

Name of Group of Producers Inspection Body
Associazione Provinciale Predator di Sondrio
Via VI Novembre, 19
Sondrio 		Ministero delle Risorse Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali
Via XX Settembre, 20
00187 Roma

Cheese made from partly skimmed cows' milk coming from traditional cow breeds of the area, with medium to long ageing, having an even, cylindrical shape with a smooth surface and a straight outer rind. The outside has a straw-yellow colour, which tends to becomes more intense with ageing.

Geographical Area: The entire area of the province of Sondrio.

The raising of livestock and, as a consequence, the making of cheese, has always been an important factor in the economy of the

Valtellina. The presence of extensive pastures has led to a seasonal migration in the traditional production area, from the highest elevations in the spring and summer to intermediate elevations in the fall. The word "Casera" comes from the Latin "caseus",

and in the Valtellina it is the name given to the typical cellar where the traditional cheeses are aged. Following the organizing of the activities of the local dairies and cooperatives, especially in the Alpine summer pasture areas, after a period of time a particular, characteristic, partly skimmed milk product was individuated which has been known for many centuries and which can be found in the area of the province of Sondrio. In more recent times, "Valtellina Casera" cheese has been found to be present in local markets, as can be gathered from various commercial documents and from special studies done by the Sondrio Chamber of Commerce, which provide evidence of a particular cheese-making process, which is currently recognized under Italian law by a special decree which defines the requisites for the designation of origin.

After the coagulating of the milk with calf rennet, making use of the spontaneous development of cheese microflora, the curd is heated and broken into lumps roughly the size of a kernel of maize. The curd is then placed in traditional cheese moulds and lightly pressed little by little. After salting, the cheese is ripened for a minimum of 70 days, which may be followed by an additional ageing period.

The natural factors are connected with the environmental conditions of the production area, which has a mild, basically even climate which, along with its steady ventilation, favours the growth of a particular type of vegetation. The result is a homogenous area particularly well-suited for the raising of livestock, where good use is made of the resources of natural pastures and cultivated crops. This situation is a determining factor in the production of the raw material to be processed into a designation of origin cheese, which greatly preserves the quality and organoleptic characteristics of the milk from which it is made.

 

Italian Cheeses PDO