This soft cheese is produced with raw cow's milk with natural acidification and coagulation without rennet, and is one of the few Italian cheeses produced in this manner. There is no crust in the fresh products, and the cheese slightly tends to be ochre in colour after a few days of maturation, and its surface is covered with pepper. It is white, compact, flaccid in consistency, and with longer maturation periods tends to become more creamy. It is sweet, milky to taste, with a slight tannic hint of yogurt.
Production Area
The Tuma Mola is produced in the municipalities of low Canavese in the Province of Turin.
How it is made
Raw milk from one milking session is used and is put in a pan at room temperature of 16-20°C, for about 12 hours. After this, the cream floating on the surface is skimmed. The milk is kept at a temperature of about 16-20°C after which the proper acidification/coagulation phase starts with the addition of acidic whey taken from the previous production without using rennet. The curd is extracted by hand, and placed immediately in plastic moulds. It is left to drain from the whey for about 1-2 hours at room temperature. Then it is transferred to the fridge and the cheese is already edible. Most of the Tuma mola is consumed on the same day or after it is formed in the moulds.
History
The preparation method of the Tuma mola is the oldest method ever known by man in that an acid coagulation is involved. It was prepared by the families especially in the summer when the heat made the milk turn acidic very quickly. In some zones of the Canavese region it was aged and passed in vinegar and pepper, as is done with the Canavese cheeses.
In the past, the farmers' families used to dry the soft cheeses in special baskets. Once dried, they were passed in vinegar and pepper and placed in terracotta containers from Castellamonte. In the summer they never missed having a snack with this cheese. The snack was called "merenda sinoira" and served almost as dinner.
Interesting features
The Tome mola cheeses are delicious when crushed and mixed with a bit of fresh cream and seasoned with garlic and pepper.
