The Piemonte region (Piedmont) is able to boast of an age-old tradition in the art of cheese-making – several products even trace their origins back to the Middle Ages, linked to the Carolingian myth. The word “formaggio” (cheese) itself comes from the medieval Latin “formaius” with its reference to “form”, basically dealing with milk that is kept in a form.
Today, there are hundreds of Piemonte cheeses which can be enjoyed, even though many of them are similar: there are infinite nuances in robiole, for example, with the characteristics of each town, of “bross”, and of tome. Nine of these cheeses have received DOP (protected designation of origin) certification and they are Bra, Castelmagno, Gorgonzola, Grana Padana, Murazzano, Raschera, Robiola di Roccaverano, Taleggio, and Toma Piemontese. Among these, Castelmagno is one of the oldest cheeses in Italy, given that the first documented news of the cheese dates back to the 13th century – it is a document of a legal decision reached in which a form of cheese was considered a unit of exchange established at twelve denari (unit of currency). Heading toward modern times, we recall that in 1722, Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy fixed, for the town of Castelmagno, the duty of furnishing the revenue of 66 lire (pounds) and 10 soldi (schillings) annually and the gift of nine rubbi (7,968 kg) of cheese to the feudal land owner.
All the cheeses are served with honey and "mostarda".
Reading:
Smile, say Cheese
Toma Piemontese DOP
still produced as described in the Medieval books.
E' prodotta ancora come descritto nei manuali medioevali in ben 7 Provincie del Piemonte (Biella, Novara, Vercelli, Torino, Cuneo, Asti e Alessandria). È composto di latte vaccino intero o parzialmente scremato e viene stagionato in “crota” (cantina) da 15 a 60 giorni, anche se a volte questi tempi vengono prolungati per esaltarne sapore, consistenza e sapidità. La Toma è la degna erede di una tradizione antichissima, che si pensa possa risalire addirittura ai tempi dell’Impero Romano.
Ancient cheese made with goat's milk, changing is scent of herbs on the different seasons. Unanimously acknowledged as the best Italian goat's cheese and in fact the only one to have the DOP mark. The goat's milk is still processed according to the simple and natural procedures of the past in the Alta Langa Astigiana districts (Bubbio, Cessole, Loazzolo, Mombaldone, Monastero Bormida, Olmo Gentile, Roccaverano, San Giorgio Scarampi, Serole and Vesime in Asti Province; Castelletto D'Erro, Denice, Malvicino, Merana, Montechiaro d'Acqui, Pareto, Ponti, Spigno Monferrato and Cartosio in Alessandria Province).
The Robiola of Roccaverano is mentioned in the historical chronicle since the 1000 B.C. but for sure its origins go back to long time before. The King Vittorio Emanuele II Savoy enjoyed himself hunting in this region and above all stopping in the farm to eat this cheese with the peasants.
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