Castelmagno Cheese

A traditional farmhouse cheese that comes from the Piedmont area of northern Italy. Often hard to find, Castelmagno is a pressed curd cheese made from pasteurized and unpasteurized, milk of cow's, goats's or sheep that is partially skimmed. It may also be made from a combination blend of milk with a little of sheep and some goat's milk added. This cheese is one of the oldest varieties made in Italy, dating back to the 13th century.

When formed into wheels, the cheese typically weighs from 5 to 15 pounds. It is allowed to age from 2 to 6 months in moist cellars where an occasional blue mold may develop within the cheese giving it a more noticably tangy flavor from the blue veins. As it ages, it develops a pungent earthy aroma similar to mushrooms. In addition, a reddish yellow colored rough, natural rind develops covering a straw-colored interior paste. Tart in flavor with a mildly nutty taste, Castelmagno develops into a firm-textured cheese with a flaky consistency that is dry and somewhat crumbly. It is a good cheese to use for grating or adding small pieces to appetizers as a topping. It goes nicely with a robust red wine that is not too light in flavor.