Toma Piemontese

Also known as Toma Italiana, this cooked semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk is produced in the Aosta Valley in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, and it is one of the oldest Italian cheese varieties, dating as far back as the Roman Empire.

In Italian, the word Toma is attributed to a specific style of cheesemaking, and it means cheese made by the farmer himself. There are two main varieties of Toma cheese produced; the first is produced entirely from whole milk, while the other is made from skimmed milk. Depending on its size, it is matured for a period of 20 to 45 days, or even 60 days for the Toma d'Alpeggio mountain variety. During the ripening phase, the cheeses are sprinkled with salt, washed and frequently turned. Toma Piemontese is a very rich and buttery cheese, with a smooth pale to yellow colored rind, and has many of the characteristics that most mountain cheeses are famous for: a slightly sweet and mild flavor in less matured versions, and a full and nutty flavor as the cheese ages.

While the whole-fat variety is mostly used for gnocchi, risotto and pasta sauces, the semi-fat Toma tastes best with jams and honey or baked with potatoes and quiches, and used in fondues. As for wine, aged Toma is wonderfully complemented by Dolcetto, Carema, and Barolo while younger cheese makes a better pairing with light white wines.