Mature raw milk Valsassina robiola

MATURE RAW MILK CHEESE FROM VALSASSINA

Despite its name "robiola," this cheese has nothing to do with classic fresh white-pasta robiole.

Produced in Val Taleggio and Valsassina, dried robiola is a raw-milk cheese, artisanally made in limited quantities according to local traditions; aging takes place for at least two months in natural caves with a cool and particularly favorable microclimate. During aging, the cheese is washed with sea water once a week to prevent mold formation.

The end result is a cheese with a yellow, soft paste and a thin pink/brown rind covered on the surface by microflora, typical of traditional cave aging.

The flavor is relatively mild yet rich, with typical fruity hints of mountain milk and walnut. It has intense, herbaceous, and underbrush aromas. The rind is edible; it is only advisable to lightly scrape the surface before tasting the cheese to avoid overly strong flavors.

Like all raw-milk cheeses, it is rich in vitamins and possesses a beneficial bacterial flora for our bodies.

It is an excellent table cheese to be enjoyed plain, preferably at room temperature to allow the creamy part of the sub-rind to soften.

It pairs wonderfully with rustic homemade bread, slices of rye bread, or accompanied by vegetable jams, fruit compotes that are not too sweet, or a touch of chestnut honey.

Recommended wines: it calls for young, medium-bodied, fresh, and fruity red wines, or a structured white wine that does not overpower the aromatic complexity of alpine milk.