Valtellina Casera

The origins of this Lombardian cheese can be traced back to the 1500s when the first cooperative dairies appeared in Valtellina valley. Derived from Latin words for cheese (caseus or casei), the word Casera was used to denote a cellar where cheeses were stored for ripening. Traditionally, the milk collected in the evening was first left to rest and then partially skimmed the next morning in order to make butter, while the milk obtained in the morning was added whole. Valtellina Casera is a semi-hard or hard cheese with a straw-colored rind, slightly rough to the touch, with a white to pale yellow paste. The taste of Casera is quite sweet, with a hint of dried fruit, and becomes more intense as the cheese matures.

Depending on the ripening stage, there are three varieties of Casera: Giovane (70 days to 6 months), Stagionato (6 to 10 months), and Stravecchio (10 months and more).