Description
Strachitunt PDO is a medium-mature double-curd stracchino cheese that can have blue-veins, made from raw whole cow’s milk obtained from the Bruna cow breed.
Production Area
The production area of Strachitunt PDO is within the territory of the municipalities of Blello, Taleggio and Vedeseta and the district of Gerosa in the Province of Bergamo, in the Lombardy region, at a minimum altitude of 700 metres a.s.l.
Production Method
The milk used for production must come from farms in the area of origin and at least 90% of the milk must come from Bruna cows. The cattle are fed with grass and/or hay from polyphyletic fields, in a percentage equal to at least 65% of the total dry feed, and at least 80% of said fodder must come from the production area. The link between the quality of the milk and that of the finished product is fundamental, and this is why the raw milk is processed directly in the mountain farms or by businesses in the area. The production process is characterised by the use of the ancient double-curd technique, in which the curd from the evening, known as “cold curd”, is left to drain in natural or synthetic fibre cloths for at least 12 hours, before being added to the morning curd, known as “hot curd.” Once the curd mass is obtained it is put in a mould for at least 12 hours. The cheeses are branded with the STV symbol and are then turned over in the mould. The alternate layering of the two curds, the evening one and the morning one, which have different textures and levels of acidification, prevents the curds from blending completely, thereby creating spaces in the cheese which, after it has been pierced, initiate the development of natural spontaneous moulds (marbling). The ripening period lasts for at least 75 days, although connoisseurs claim that the ideal amount of time is around 3 months, to allow the moulds responsible for the cheese’s piquant flavour to fully develop.
Appearance and Flavour
Strachitunt PDO has a cylindrical shape with flat surfaces, a diameter varying from 25 to 28 cm and a height ranging from 10 to 18 cm. When mature it weighs between 4 and 7 kg. The rind is thin and coarse, at times covered with a yellowish or grey mould, depending on the level of ripening. The cheese is firm, blue-veined and softer under the rind, with a yellowish white colour and both creamy and non-creamy veins. It has the typical smell of a blue-veined cheese, initially revealing slightly milky notes which are then overpowered by metallic ones. It has an intense aromatic flavour, ranging from sweet to piquant, depending on the level of ripening, and is fragrant and mouth-melting with a pleasant vegetal aftertaste.
History
Numerous historical documents testify to the ancient origins of Strachitunt PDO. It is produced according to a traditional method that has been handed down from generation to generation. This procedure is faithfully reproduced by the companies that produce the cheese today, and they are actively engaged in preserving the precious heritage linked to it, thereby contributing to the protection of the Taleggio Valley’s culture, environment and history.
Gastronomy
Strachitunt PDO should be kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of between 0 and 6 °C; it is advisable to wrap it in cling film or place it in an airtight container to prevent the flavour being contaminated by other foods in the refrigerator, and vice versa. The product should be eaten within 60 days of being packaged. This blue-veined stracchino cheese is a very popular ingredient in Bergamo cuisine, but it also goes very well with other products, for example with a fillet of the Chianina breed of Vitellone Bianco dell’Appenino Centrale PGI, served with fresh or grilled polenta.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Strachitunt PDO. It is sold whole or, more often, in wedges wrapped in food-grade packaging.
Distinctive Features
Strachìtunt, meaning “soft round cheese”, is an ancient dialect name used in the Brembana and Taleggio Valleys to distinguish this type of cheese from the more widespread Strachì quader. A predecessor to Gorgonzola, Strachitunt PDO was long neglected and forgotten, only to be rediscovered and re-launched on the market over the last decade.
