Castelmagno cheese is named after the sanctuary dedicated to St. Magnus, located in the municipality with the same name. Of ancient origin, the first cheeses were produced already in the 12th century and the first official document registers its presence in a court sentence in which the Municipality of Castelmagno, defeated by the Marquise of Saluzzion, had to pay him an annual lease with pieces of cheese.
This is a pressed, semi-hard cheese from unpasteurised dairy milk of the Barà Pustertaler, Bruna, Pezzata Rossa d'Oropa, Pezzata Rossa, Montbeliard, Grigio Alpina, Piemontese, Valdostana breeds and their cross-breeds fed with at least 30% of fresh fodder or hay, in order to protect their link with the territory, and with possible additions of sheep's milk and/or goat's milk in minimum proportions of 5 to a maximum of 20%.
It is produced at an altitude of more than 600 m above sea level and this bears a "Mountain Product" label. The product will be labelled "from Mountain Pastures" only when the production and cheese making occurs at more than 1,000 m above sea level and the milk exclusively comes from cows, goats or sheep fed with at least 90% of the local flora in the periods of May to end of October.
Production Area
The area of production and maturation covers the three municipalities of the Province of Cuneo Castelmagno, Pradleves and Monterosso Grana.
Characteristics
Physical characteristics
- Diameter:
- from 15 cm to 25 cm
- Edge:
- from 12 cm to 20 cm
- Form:
- cylindrical with flat sides
- Rind:
- inedible, subtle yellow-red in colour, smooth, tending towards rigidness and regular with less ageing, assumes a darker shade, thickens and becomes wrinkly as
the ageing progresses
- Texture:
- pearl white or ivory at minimum ageing, ochre yellow with possible blue-green streaks as ageing progresses, achieved through the poking of the whole cheese
according to traditional techniques (done manually with long iron rods).
- Weight:
- Varies from 2 kg to 7 kg
Nutritional characteristics
- Fat:
- 34.2 g out of 100 g of product
- Proteins:
- 25.6 g out of 100 g of product
Sensory and organoleptic characteristics
- Aroma:
- refined, delicate and moderately salty at start of ageing; tastier as ageing progresses
- Structure:
- friabile ai minimi di stagionatura (60 giorni) e più compatta col progredire della stagionatura
How it is made
The cows from which milk is taken for DOP cheeses, have to be milked not more than twice a day. The dairy cows and possibly sheep and goats have to be fed with green fodder or hay taken from the fields, pastures mainly found in the territories of the Municipalities of Castelmagno, Pradleves and Monterosso Grana. The components of the feeds complete the nutrition programme and consist in cereals, legumes, mineral salts and vitamins allowed by laws in force.
The milk, after being skimmed, is heated to a temperature of 30-38°C; pasteurisation and high heating of the milk is not allowed. Coagulation takes place at a temperature between 30 and 38°C. The use of fermenting agents is prohibited.
Processing takes place in a heating cauldron, while the mass is continually stirred for about 10 to 15 minutes.
The curd is then cut and left to deposit at the bottom of the cauldron or extracted and left to rest for at least 18 hours. Later the curd is put in recipients and immersed in the whey remainders of previous processings.
In the past, regular fermentation took 2 to 4 days.
The curd was then cut and finely minced and salted and wrapped in vegetable or synthetic cloth, and put into the moulds of wood or other suitable material for at least a day, subjected also to manual or mechanical pressing.
Further dry salting of the cheese was allowed to give colour and consistency to the cheese rind.
Ripening has to take place for a period of 60 days in natural, cool and humid grottos or in facilities with similar environmental conditions, on wooden planks
or other suitable material.
The ripening is done at 5 and15°C and humidity of 70- 98 %, conditions that will ensure the correct development of natural blooms, typical of the Castelmagno D.O.P.
In order to guarantee the traceability of the product (from the start and end of the production chain) every phase of the production process has to be monitored, documented for each of the incoming and outgoing products. To this end, producers are obliged to register their products in specific lists, managed by the control bodies of livestock breeders, producers/processers, packagers and retailers, as well as keep production and condition registers and submit declarations to quality control agencies.
Furthermore, «Castelmagno» products bear the "Mountain Pastures" label for products achieved from specific mountain pasture animals registered abd managed by the Control Bodies. These titles determine the maximum quantity of milk produced per animal species, accounted for in releasing the trademark authorisations.
The cheese may be sold for consumption either whole or retailed and prepacked. The portioning and prepacking operations may be done elsewhere other than in the geographic production areas.
Interesting features
The Castelmagno DOP is stored in a cool place or in the least cold compartment of the fridge, protected by its wrapper or alluminum foil in a closed glass or plastic container to avoid the absorption and transmission of odors of other foods.
The veins come from special moulds such as pennicillium, typical of herbed or blue cheeses, that develop naturally without being inoculated.
It is produced throughout the year, except those produced in the mountain pastures between May and October.
Labelling
The product is branded at its origin with the logo impressed on the side that is in contact with the base of the mould during the cheese production time. Before being released to the market, an identification symbol is placed on the whole cheese, consisting of the compliance mark called the" flyer" on the same side bearing the mark of origin. The mark of origin consists of a stylised letter «C» with the outline of alpine mountain peaks on the upper part and an elliptical shape of etched cheese in the centre.
Given that the «Castelmagno» cheese is produced at an altitude higher than 600 m above sea level, its label bears the words "mountain product" and the words in the flyer is set in a blue background.
When milk production and dairy processing occurs at an altitude higher than 1,000 m above sea level, the cheese label bears the words "Mountain Pastures," and the flyer bears the designation «Mountain Pastures» on the four helix designs of the word «Castelmagno» which is set in a moss green background. On both sides, the words "inedible crust" appear on both indications.
The symbols must bear the law specifications besides the Protected Dessignation of Origin «Castelmagno» mark, and in case of additional specifications may indicate "Mountain Product" or "Mountain Pastures.
Cheese sold in portions and prepacked must always be distinguishable with the mark of origin and the identification mark bearing the name of the producer and the ageing factory, and conform with the norms in force on matters of labelling and presentation of foodstuffs and in every case always allow visibility of the DOP symbols and the batch number it came from, to allow a better product retraceability.
European community registration
Registration EU Reg. EC 1263 of 01/07/1996
GUCE L163 02.07.1996
