Castelmagno DOP 360g

INGREDIENTS: Raw cow's milk, salt, rennet, lactic ferments.

DESCRIPTION:

Castelmagno is called "The King of Cheeses" and is a Piedmontese cheese of historical importance. Its origin dates back to ancient times and it is said that Charlemagne himself was a fan. It is currently produced in municipalities in the province of Cuneo with cow's milk and an addition of sheep's and goat's milk. The pasta is crumbly and tends to be yellowish. It has rare green veins due to grassing and has intense smells and aromas.

The crust, rather fine, is brownish-yellow, with darker variations depending on the seasoning, while the paste is white or yellowish, golden yellow if seasoned, with a marbling of rare green veins.

You cannot say you love cheese if you have not tried Castelmagno at least once.

Pairings: It can be tasted as is, or combined with a honey, preferably linden or oak honeydew. It is also suitable for various preparations of gnocchi, quiches, polenta, or fondues. Above all, this cheese is destined to be prepared with the classic Risotto al Castelmagno.

Wines: Castelmagno is produced in Piedmont and it is reasonable to combine it with fresh, flower-scented local wines. Excellently paired with a Nebbiolo d'Alba. If you prefer something more full-bodied and with a persistent taste, you can opt for a Barolo. Leaving Piedmont, we suggest a Sangiovese di Romagna or a Chianti Classico.

THE PRODUCTION METHOD:

The production area is limited to the municipalities of Castelmagno, Pradleves, and Monterosso Grana in the upper Grana valley in the province of Cuneo. The livestock that produces the milk must be fed with fresh or sharpened fodder from the area, which gives the product a unique flavor.

The preparation of this cheese lasts about six days. Using the milk of two milkings (the first is left to rest for a night in stone or wood basins in cool environments or immersed in cold water).
The next morning, the milk from the second milking is added. Heating, curdling, and breaking of the curd and first revolt with the spannarola is kept in agitation for about ten minutes in order to form homogeneous lumps.

After twenty hours of rest in a cloth, the curd is laid in a bucket for two days. Then it is shuffled, shredded, and recompressed. Dry salting takes place afterwards for two days.
The seasoning lasts from 2 to 5 months and takes place in natural caves where the shapes are placed on wooden shelves.

CASTELMAGNO: BETWEEN HISTORY AND LEGEND

The first testimonies to the quality of a Castelmagno-like cheese from these valleys came from a Roman soldier who became a Christian martyr surround this cheese in legend. Charlemagne is also mentioned as a staunch admirer but, to be honest, the first official document to mention the cheese dates back to the thirteenth century. In this record, the cheese is used as a form of payment of gabelle, form of rent, or even as the official annual rent of the municipality of Castelmagno itself to the Marquis of Saluzzo.

In the following centuries, Castelmagno found prestigious admirers in the papal court of Avignon. The monarch Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy later went so far as to decree the cheese royalty and arranged for nine rubbi to be sent annually as a tax to the community of the alpine villages. In the nineteenth century, Castelmagno became the King of Italian cheeses and began to appear on the menus of the most important restaurants in European capitals. That's when the decadence began.

After the two great wars of the twentieth century and the depopulation of the mountains, Castelmagno seriously risked disappearing until the 1970s. It returned as a nearly unknown cheese to the general public. Under the fierce protection the mayor, it reappeared as a niche and high-class product. It is now one of the rarest, genuine, and most valuable dairy products in all of Europe.

In 1982, this cheese was awareded the national DOC recognition. In 1996, Calstelmagno was among the first Italian cheeses to obtain official European PDO recognition. Today, Castelmagno is appreciated and known for its authentic taste derived from the excellent raw materials with which it is produced: Bruna alpina milk from cows, goats, and sheep bred and fed in the pastures of the municipalities of Castelmagno, Pradlevès, and Monterosso Grana.