The cheese
A noble tradition for great flavors
In Vallagarina, dairy art has a long and ancient tradition: soft, seasoned cheeses, with a delicate or pungent taste, each with unique characteristics, the result of different techniques and flavors that have been handed down for a long time.
Monte Baldo, Lessinia and Pasubio are home to welcoming mountain huts where, in the summer months, it is possible to witness the processing of milk from uncontaminated mountain pastures. Here you can experience the thrill of milking firsthand, taste the products and enjoy the view through suggestive walks.
The biodiversity of the mountain territories transfers to the cheeses unique aromas and fragrances that are found on the plate thanks to a skilful and respectful processing of ecosystems. The tradition of breeding goats also persists in the Leno Valleys, from which cheeses are obtained according to the different processes, from ricotta to seasoned.
The “Monte Baldo” and “Monte Baldo Primo Fiore” cheese
This cheese has been produced for centuries in the numerous mountain pastures of the area of Mount Baldo, as well as in the small dairies of the town. Obtained from the processing of milk, derived from Bruna or black dappled cows, it is extremely rich in aromas. Cylindrical in shape with a smooth or slightly rough crust, Monte Baldo is characterized by a straw-colored hue and a noticeable fragrance. It is subjected to a seasoning period, starting from 7 months to 4 years, which leads it to be an excellent meal or grated product.
The “Nostrano di Malga” cheese
The mountain pasture is practiced since ancient times on mountain pastures. In the Trentino valleys are still scattered on the ridges numerous alpine huts that work the milk. Hence the denomination of cheeses “di malga” or “d’Alpe”. Among the cheeses, the “Nostrano”, widespread throughout the territory but different in each valley, is characterized by its cylindrical shape and smooth crust. A really large variety. Every cheese tells a valley, a hut, a particular area, but everyone must go through a similar process that goes from curd processing to resting in molds, salting in brine and then maturing. However, the flavors, although only slightly, vary. The advice is to try them all and look for the differences.
The “Affogato all’Enantio” cheese
The cheese “Affogato all’Enantio” is produced by the Social Dairy of Sabbionara and is the excellent result of two products related to Vallagarina: the milk of the Baldo Aviense huts and the Enantio wine. The cheese is immersed for about 20 days in the wine and the shapes are turned daily to facilitate absorption evenly. At the end of the procedure the crust is opaque, characterized by purple shades; the paste assumes a particular softness to the nose; the taste is spicy. All wrapped in a fruity and aromatic scent.