Legend has it that Bitto dates back to the Celts, an Indo-European population that came to Bergamo Alps around the IV-III Century B.C. Being skilled shepherds and expert cheese makers, they started to produce long- conservation cheese in order to keep the milk’s nutritional properties: the Celtic word “bitu” meant “ever-lasting”: in fact, Bitto cheese makes milk almost eternal, as it ripens for over 10 years!
Moreover, the creek crossing Valgerola valley and Albaredo valley and flowing into river Adda near the village of Morbegno is called Bitto: maybe it is a never-ending stream, too!
The production area of this Bergamo D.O.P. cheese is very restricted and only consists of 8 Municipalities and very few pastures among the 250 working ones.
The processing of Bitto, as for every D.O.P. labelled cheeses, must adhere to a rigid protocol: only a 10% of goat’s raw milk can be added to the cow’s raw milk. The processing must be carried out on site, within 30 minutes after the milking.
Eventually, you will get a semi-hard cheese, or hard if it’s ripened. In fact, the miminum ripening time lasts 70 days, while the longest one can last 10 years! From the 70th day on, the Protection Consortium can brand it with the specific mark.
In order to get such an outstanding cheese, cows must be fed with pasture grass coming from the production area, which can only be integrated with 3 kilos of dry fodder per day, consisting of corn, barley, wheatsoy, molasses and salt.
Bitto cheese is excellent by itself, but it is also a fantastic and rich ingredient for many recipes: crepes with mushrooms, chestnut gnocchi in Bitto sauce, salads, Margottini (tiny polenta flans with a fondant bitto heart). Try it!
Legend has it that Bitto dates back to the Celts, an Indo-European population that came to Bergamo Alps around the IV-III Century B.C. Being skilled shepherds and expert cheese makers, they started to produce long- conservation cheese in order to keep the milk’s nutritional properties: the Celtic word “bitu” meant “ever-lasting”: in fact, Bitto cheese makes milk almost eternal, as it ripens for over 10 years!
Moreover, the creek crossing Valgerola valley and Albaredo valley and flowing into river Adda near the village of Morbegno is called Bitto: maybe it is a never-ending stream, too!
The production area of this Bergamo D.O.P. cheese is very restricted and only consists of 8 Municipalities and very few pastures among the 250 working ones.
The processing of Bitto, as for every D.O.P. labelled cheeses, must adhere to a rigid protocol: only a 10% of goat’s raw milk can be added to the cow’s raw milk. The processing must be carried out on site, within 30 minutes after the milking.
Eventually, you will get a semi-hard cheese, or hard if it’s ripened. In fact, the miminum ripening time lasts 70 days, while the longest one can last 10 years! From the 70th day on, the Protection Consortium can brand it with the specific mark.
In order to get such an outstanding cheese, cows must be fed with pasture grass coming from the production area, which can only be integrated with 3 kilos of dry fodder per day, consisting of corn, barley, wheatsoy, molasses and salt.
Bitto cheese is excellent by itself, but it is also a fantastic and rich ingredient for many recipes: crepes with mushrooms, chestnut gnocchi in Bitto sauce, salads, Margottini (tiny polenta flans with a fondant bitto heart). Try it!
Bitto D.O.P is produced from June 1st to September 30th, in the pastures of the following municipalities of the Upper Brembana Valley (Bergamo Province): Averara, Carona, Cusio, Foppolo, Mezzoldo, Piazzatorre, Santa Brigida and Valleve.
Valcalepio D.O.C. red reserve
Valcalepio D.O.C. Muscat raisin wine
Moscato di Scanzo D.O.C.G.
