Bastardo del Grappa is a traditional
cheese produced in the foothills of
Monte Grappa massif and in the provinces of
Treviso
Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and '' comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Ven ...
,
Belluno, and
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
, in Italy. Bastardo del Grappa is a certified
PAT cheese qualifying it as a genuine Italian product.
History
The history of the semi-fat cheese "bastardo" dates back to 800 AD, a time in which it was produced in the pastures of the
Veneto
it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman)
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region.
It is so named ( means 'bastard') because of the milk, with the addition of goat's milk in its composition, can not be turned into
Morlacco
( vec, Morlac) or Morlacco del Grappa is an Italian cow's-milk cheese from Monte Grappa, in the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso, and Belluno) where cheesemakers once produced a soft cow's milk cheese, low in fat, with an uncooked curd that wa ...
cheese.
Although the story also shows that the name derives from the fact that in the past it was also produced with goat, sheep and cow's milk.
Areas of production
Bastardo del Grappa is a product related genuinely to the area of Monte Grappa massif and around
Borso del Grappa,
Crespano del Grappa
Crespano del Grappa is a small town and a ''frazione'' of Pieve del Grappa in the province of Treviso, Veneto region of Italy. As of 2007 Crespano del Grappa had an estimated population of 4,680.
History
Crespano del Grappa was a separate ''comu ...
,
Paderno del Grappa
Paderno del Grappa is a small town and a ''frazione'' of Pieve del Grappa in the province of Treviso, Veneto region of Italy.. Paderno del Grappa is located at the base of Mount Grappa, a mountain located in the Dolomites. Paderno del Grappa is a ...
,
Possagno,
Cavaso del Tomba
Cavaso del Tomba is a ''comune'' with about 3000 inhabitants in the province of Treviso, Veneto, north-eastern Italy. The municipality of Cavaso is spread over the southern flank of the buttress that extends from Monte Grappa towards the Piave Riv ...
,
Alano di Piave,
Quero,
Feltre,
Seren del Grappa,
Arsiè,
Cismon del Grappa,
San Nazario,
Solan,
Pove del Grappa, and
Romano d'Ezzelino
Romano d'Ezzelino is a small city with c. 14,000 residents in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It lies in the foothills of Monte Grappa and is located among some hills and country. The name "Romano" comes from ''Arimanno'', a Lombard word mea ...
.
Process of production
After the milk is collected in the morning, it is left to rest overnight in a cool place. The fat is removed in a caldera of copper and the milk mixed, heated to a temperature ranging between , all in constant motion.
Then
rennet is added, which helps the whey from the cheese to coagulate into a large, soft ball. The procedure continues with the caldera reheated to .
The curd is then pressed mildly in wooden molds, and purged for 24 hours.
The dough is then allowed to rest for 2 to 3 days, when it takes a smooth texture. The cheese is salted in brine with about 15 kg of salt per hectoliters of water for a period of 4 to 5 days so that the taste is not altered. The maturation follows in a suitable room for 25 to 120 days, although it can go on for over a year.
The weight can vary from 2.5 to 5 kg, the diameter from 25 to 30 cm, and height from 5 to 8 cm.
The curing also brings changes to the consistency of the dough which becomes grainier depending on its maturity.
The cheese said "bastard" is of a yellow pale to a light straw color,
which can also vary according to its seasoning.
Nutritional values
The nutritional values of Bastardo del Grappa range from 350 to 460 calories per 100 g, with proteins exceeding 20%. A minimum of 27% of fats and humidity of 40% at the most.
See also
*
List of cheeses
This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. Cheese is a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors dep ...
*
List of Italian cheeses
:''This page lists more than 1,000 types of Italian cheese but is still incomplete; you can help by expanding it.''
This is an article of Italian cheeses. Italy is the country with the highest variety of cheeses in the world, with over 2500 tradi ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bel Paese (Cheese)
Cheeses of Veneto
Cow's-milk cheeses
Goat's-milk cheeses