''Montasio'' is a mountain
cheese made from
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
's
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
produced in northeastern
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in the regions of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia and
Veneto
it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 = ...
.
It was awarded a
protected designation of origin (PDO) in 1986.
History
It takes its name from the famous Montasio plateau, where cheese has been produced since 1200; the first production techniques were refined at the abbey of San Gallo di Moggio Udinese, while the first evidence of the name dates back to the decree of 22 August 1773, when the Council of the city of
Udine
Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
imposed on traders the sale at a fixed price of some products, including this cheese, which, we learn from that document, the price of 19 soldi a pound was imposed.
[''DOC cheeses of Italy'', p. 64]
Already in 1880, a cooperative movement of
dairies
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
was formed to support the production of this cheese.
[''DOC cheeses of Italy'', p. 64] A decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests of 16 March 1987, assigned the Montasio Producers Association the tasks of supervision, control and marketing of Montasio production.
[''DOC cheeses of Italy'', p. 65]
Characteristics
* Made from cow's milk
* Country of origin: Italy
* Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto
* Alternative spellings: Montasio Fresco
* Type:
semi-hard. Versions aged longer develop a harder
texture
Texture may refer to:
Science and technology
* Surface texture, the texture means smoothness, roughness, or bumpiness of the surface of an object
* Texture (roads), road surface characteristics with waves shorter than road roughness
* Texture ...
.
* Fat content: 32%
* Texture: creamy and open
* Rind: natural
* Color: pale yellow to gold, depending on age
Aging
It is typically aged for a minimum of two months, and some preparations are aged for a year or more.
The rind is typically stamped with the date of its production.
See also
*
Friulano
*
Bergkäse
( for, , German, mountain cheese) refers to a number of varieties of cheese produced in the Alps. This includes products of mountain farming, the cultivation of alpine pastures as well as the milk processing of local producers in dairies. The te ...
*
Jôf di Montasio
The Jôf di Montasio (Italian, fur, Jôf dal Montâs, sl, Montaž, german: Montasch) is located in the Province of Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy.
With its elevation of , it is the second highest mountain o ...
References
External links
Montasio official website
Cheeses of Veneto
Italian cheeses
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Veneto
Italian products with protected designation of origin
Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union
{{Italy-cuisine-stub