Description
Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO is a semi-cooked cheese produced exclusively with whole cow’s milk. There are two typologies: Prodotto a fondovalle (produced in the valley) and Prodotto in alpeggio (produced in the mountain pastures); the labels of both may display the term “Riserva” if the cheese is ripened for over six months.
Production Area
The production area of Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO is within 21 municipalities in the Alta Valle Brembana, in the Province of Bergamo, in the Lombardy region.
Production Method
The cows diet must be made up of grasses or dry hay, of which at least 50% must come from the delimited geographical area. The milk is curdled at a temperature of between 35 and 37 °C, with the addition of rennet to obtain the curd within 30 minutes. The addition of a natural starter culture or selected enzyme is permitted. The first breaking of the curd is followed by semi-cooking the mass at a temperature of 43-50 °C, after which the mass is agitated. The cheese is then shaped in moulds called fasere; they are then pressed to stimulate the expulsion of the whey. The wheels are then dry salted or salted in brine. The ripening process lasts a minimum of 45 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO has a firm, thin rind; it is straw-yellow, darker in more mature cheeses. The semi-cooked cheese is ivory to pale straw-yellow in colour and has a compact and springy structure with scattered eyes. It has a delicate and fragrant flavour, not piquant, with a characteristic aroma.
History
The production of this cheese most likely began a few centuries ago, but it only really developed after the Second World War, with the establishment of a small dairy that only worked for five months of the year (from January to May). In 1954 this dairy became the Latteria Sociale Valtorta, and at the end of the 1980s it began producing Formai de Mut year-round. The etymology of the name Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO derives from the Val Brembana dialect word mut, meaning “mountain pasture”. By the 20th century, the term “mountain cheese” indicated the entire cheese production in the Alta Valle, referring to cheese produced in both the highlands and the valley.
Gastronomy
Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO should be kept in a cool place. If put in the refrigerator, it should be sealed in a plastic or glass container in order to preserve the original organoleptic properties and flavour. It can be used as an ingredient in traditional dishes from its area of origin, for example, Bergamasca polenta. When fresh it pairs well with white wines, and with reds if mature.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO with a Blue mark (produced in the high mountain pastures between June and September, known as “alpeggi”) or a Red mark (produced in the valley year-round). The labels of both may display the term “Riserva” if the cheese is ripened for over six months. It is sold whole, in wedges, or in pre-packed slices.
Distinctive Features
The area where Formai de Mut dell’Alta Valle Brembana PDO is produced and ripened is an alpine area of noteworthy environmental relevance, as it falls entirely within the Orobie Occidentali Bergamasche Park. The climate is cool, with an abundance of water and rich, aromatic pastures, making it an ideal environment for the production and processing of milk, as well as giving the cheese its specific organoleptic properties, which are enriched by distinctive fragrances and aromas, especially in the summer high mountain cheeses.
