The goatherd was a crucial figure across the mountains of Bergamo: he was entitled to look after the families’ animals and graze them till the evening. In order to carry out his activity, he used gem salts, as goats are really greedy of them: he also whistled a lot in order to guide and lead the animals. He surely had a great responsibility!
Many centuries, lots of goats and milk have improved the ability of Bergamo cheese makers to produce excellent goat cheese.
There are several types of goat cheese produced in Bergamo territory, all of them from raw milk:
- small and fresh raw cheeses – with no cooking of the curd – to be eaten before 10-12 days, featuring sour notes and a strong taste. They also come with bloomy rind.
- Stracchino soft cheeses, which aged for about 20 days and whose aroma reminds of mown grass and cooked milk
- "formaggelle” cheeses with cooked milk – at about 44°C – aged at least 30 days, saltier than the previous ones and with increasingly intense animal notes, depending on the aging; pleasantly soluble, with high taste-olfactory persistence.
- Goat blue cheeses, similar to Gorgonzola.
But that’s not all. Many cheese makers from Bergamo amatize gresh goat cheeses in several ways: rose petals, herbs, seeds, fruit, vegetable coal, berries ...You can taste them along with some marmelades, local honey or preserved Calvenzano melon: simply delicious!
Moreover, these cheeses are excellent when seasone with oil, salt, pepper and thyme, and they are also a perfect ingredient for many dishes: mousse, ravioli stuffing, salty tarts, gnocchi, crepes and sauces for meat and freshwater fish, to which they add a slighly sour and salty taste.
The goatherd was a crucial figure across the mountains of Bergamo: he was entitled to look after the families’ animals and graze them till the evening. In order to carry out his activity, he used gem salts, as goats are really greedy of them: he also whistled a lot in order to guide and lead the animals. He surely had a great responsibility!
Many centuries, lots of goats and milk have improved the ability of Bergamo cheese makers to produce excellent goat cheese.
There are several types of goat cheese produced in Bergamo territory, all of them from raw milk:
- small and fresh raw cheeses – with no cooking of the curd – to be eaten before 10-12 days, featuring sour notes and a strong taste. They also come with bloomy rind.
- Stracchino soft cheeses, which aged for about 20 days and whose aroma reminds of mown grass and cooked milk
- "formaggelle” cheeses with cooked milk – at about 44°C – aged at least 30 days, saltier than the previous ones and with increasingly intense animal notes, depending on the aging; pleasantly soluble, with high taste-olfactory persistence.
- Goat blue cheeses, similar to Gorgonzola.
But that’s not all. Many cheese makers from Bergamo amatize gresh goat cheeses in several ways: rose petals, herbs, seeds, fruit, vegetable coal, berries ...You can taste them along with some marmelades, local honey or preserved Calvenzano melon: simply delicious!
Moreover, these cheeses are excellent when seasone with oil, salt, pepper and thyme, and they are also a perfect ingredient for many dishes: mousse, ravioli stuffing, salty tarts, gnocchi, crepes and sauces for meat and freshwater fish, to which they add a slighly sour and salty taste.
Goats usually rest over different periods, depending on their breed. Bergamo’s goats rest from the end of January to the end of September approximately, while the others rest from December to March. Obviously, during this lapse of time no goat cheese is processed.
Valcalepio D.O.C. white for fresh goat cheeses
Terre del Colleoni D.O.C. white Incrocio Manzoni or Moscato giallo for Taleggio cheese and formaggelle cheeses
Terre del Colleoni D.O.C. sparkling for all goat cheeses
Moscato di Scanzo D.O.C.G.: a daring matching, indeed, but really appreciated by sommeliers.
