Learning about cheese
Is learning about cheese on your bucket list? Maybe not, but let me tell you that once you know the work and craftsmanship that goes into the making of cheese, you may change your mind. I certainly did. I knew that I loved to eat and serve Italian cheese, but truthfully had no idea what it took to make authentic, real Italian cheese. A trip to the Veneto Region of Northern Italy was the best way to learn! To get all of the delicious details of my entire tour with Oldways please click ==> HERE!
Cheese glorious cheese!
I must apologize to my lactose intolerant friends, but ooey gooey, tangy, buttery cheese is divine! Pair it with your favorite wine, grate it over pasta, bake a lasagna, melt it for sandwiches, enjoy a quesadilla or just eat a chunk with a piece of fruit. Tasty cheese is big business and nobody does cheese like the Italians!
Happily touring for cheese
On my recent culinary trip to Italy with Oldways, our traveling group had the pleasure of suiting up and touring a cheese plant with our new friends at Monti Trentini. Located in the Dolomites of Northern Italy, with views of craggy stone mountains in every direction, this AMAZING facility impressed us all.
I had no idea how much thought, effort and skill, mixed with a little Italian love, went in to making cheese. The cleanliness standards are extremely important and every precaution is taken to make sure the plant is germ free. This cheese is raw, not pasteurized and therefore must be aged in order to kill any possible contaminants. We all wore special clothing and fabulous hair nets.
The milk comes from happy Italian cows that are only fed local, organic grasses, while they breathe fresh mountain air. They always use the freshest milk combined with certain techniques coupled with a strict aging process and this creates the most incredible cheese!
Grana Padano – A rich and tasty Italian cheese
“GRANA PADANO DOP MONTI TRENTINI is produced throughout the year with cow’s milk collected exclusively in a protected area of origin (DOP). The milk is selected to guarantee the unmistakable flavor. It is light and digestible, contains many proteins, vitamins and mineral salts. It is a cheese that enhances all the dishes of Italian cuisine, knows how to be appreciated across the board, from aperitif to dessert.”
Fun Fact: Many people who are lactose intolerant can actually eat this amazing Italian cheese, maybe it’s the purity of ingredients or Italian magic, but I know several people who experience this result. The rest of us are so lucky that we can eat as much as we want!
A tour through Monti Trentini Cheese Company
Final Thoughts about our Italian cheese tour
We left our tour well informed, with happy hearts, full bellies and bags of Italian cheese. A “Disneyland” for cheese lovers! It is extremely important to me to know the origins of the foods that I eat and serve my family. I am actually a little embarrassed about how little I knew about Italian cheese, now the problem is that I am a cheese snob. Nothing but real Italian cheese for us in the future!
Culinary tours offer a very long list of benefits. Obviously eating our way through local dishes is of primary importance, but meeting the local food artisans, learning new recipes, taking cooking classes which utilize these new local ingredients is something you can never do from home. You must pack a bag and go find adventure. Where shall we go next?
Links to Cheese Information
Things to Look for in Traditional Cheese
More Posts About Italy
My Custom Made Adventure: A Culinary Tour in Italy
A Visit to Bologna – A Delicious & Vibrant Must-See City In Italy!
Adventures in Italy ~ Our Big Summer Trip to See The Palio in Siena
Tuscan Women Cook :: My Italian Cooking School Dream Adventure!
An Italian Cooking Class in Tuscany for the Whole Family
The Secret to Successful Multigenerational Travel :: Food & Wine
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That looks crazy! A tour of making cheese! I would never have thought of it! You always do such interesting things.
It was really enlightening learning about Italian cheese and so delicious!
Really great! I enjoyed the your post. Hope you come back to publish more new articles on topic Italian cheese.