Description
Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO is a semi-cooked, semi-hard cow’s milk cheese that is ripened for at least 90 days. It is made from the milk of cows on farms situated in the production area, belonging to one or more of the following breeds: Bruna, Frisona, Pezzata Rossa, Grigio Alpina, Rendena, Pinzgau and their cross-breeds.
Production Area
The production area of Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO is within the territory of 26 municipalities in the autonomous Province of Trento, and in the municipalities of Anterivo and Trodena in the autonomous Province of Bolzano.
Production Method
Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO is produced with raw cow’s milk taken from two successive milkings. The qualitative characteristics of the milk are attributable to the high quality of the lactating cows’ diets, which must consist of at least 60% of forage from the production area, where there is an abundance of particular essences, made up of permanent pasture grass, or grass cut or consumed in the pasture. The heated milk is curdled with calf rennet and after the curd breaks it is semi-cooked. The mass is extracted and put into moulds. This is followed by dry salting or brining. The cheeses are left to ripen for at least 90 days, during which time they must be washed by hand with a cloth soaked in warm water, sometimes salted, until the product goes on the market. Treating the rind with water creates a greasy layer and promotes bacterial fermentation, giving the cheese an intense, pungent smell and the rind its unique brick-red colour.
Appearance and Flavour
Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 34-42 cm; the height of the heel ranges from 9 to 12 cm and it has a variable weight of 9 to 13 kg. The rind is smooth and greasy, and during the ripening process the colour tends to darken, starting off as yellow ochre and gradually turning light brown or reddish. The cheese is white to pale yellow with sparsely scattered eyes and has a strong, intense flavour that is pleasantly salty and/or piquant, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
History
There are not many documents recounting the history of Puzzone Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO. However, it has been well-known in the dairies and farms in the Fassa Valley for many years, where a cheese known as “nostrano fassano” was produced, characterised by a greasy rind and a strong smell and fragrance. The name was introduced in the early 1970s, used for the first time during a Sunday radio broadcast by the RAI radio station in Trento, with reference to the “nostrano fassano” cheese produced by the Social Dairy in Moena.
Gastronomy
Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO should be kept in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator, wrapped in aluminium foil or inside a glass or plastic container. It keeps for up to 90 days if vacuum packed and kept under the right conditions. Whole cheeses can be kept for up to 8-10 months in suitable places. Although with different parameters, it is still traditionally proposed as a melted cheese or served with polenta and mashed potatoes. It is an excellent ingredient for risottos or gnocchi dishes, although true enthusiasts choose to eat it on its own or with honey.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Puzzone di Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO, with the possible indication of the typology “Stagionato” (mature) and/or “di Malga” (the latter is when the cheese is produced with milk produced in mountain pastures between June and September). It is sold year-round, whole, in pieces and pre-packed.
Distinctive Features
During the mountain pasture season, from June to September, Puzzone Moena PDO or Spretz Tzaorì PDO di Malga is produced with milk from mountain farms, a much sought-after variety identified by an “M” stamped on the heel of the cheese. The mountain farm cheese has a smooth and enveloping taste that incorporates the fragrance of all the herbs and flowers found in the pastures.
