Formagella Tremosine al Tartufo — Alpe del Garda

The Formagella di Tremosine is a traditional Lombardy cheese included in the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. It is produced entirely in the heart of the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano, on the Tremosine plateau, where grey alpine and brown alpine cows graze at a minimum elevation of 400 metres above sea level. The truffle variant arises from the encounter between this territorial cheese and the black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittadini) that grows spontaneously on Monte Baldo and the moraine hills of Lake Garda: a pairing that expresses both local roots without one prevailing over the other. The pasteurised cow's milk is processed with rennet and lactic cultures; the black summer truffle (0.2%) is added into the paste. The minimum ageing is 30 days in a cold room at 8–9 °C.

Main characteristics

• Milk: pasteurised cow's milk, farms on the Tremosine plateau, Parco Alto Garda Bresciano
• Producer: Caseificio Cooperativo Alpe del Garda, Tremosine sul Garda (BS)
• Truffle: Black Summer (Tuber aestivum Vitt.), 0.2% in the paste
• Classification: semi-fat, semi-hard paste
• Cylindrical shape, diameter 16–18 cm, height 5–7 cm; soft paste with small irregular eyes
• Ageing: minimum 30 days
• PAT product (Traditional Agri-food Product)
• Rind not edible; vacuum packed

Sensory profile

• Appearance: ivory-coloured paste with uniform distribution of dark truffle fragments; small irregular eyes
• Aroma: essences of Garda mountain meadows in the background, with earthy and fungal truffle note of medium intensity
• Taste: milky, fresh and delicate entry typical of mountain milk; the truffle component is present but not invasive, in balance with the grassy background of the pasture
• Texture: soft and compact paste, good sliceability, melting without graininess

How to serve

• At room temperature on a board with mountain honey, blueberry jam or walnuts
• Sliced on mountain bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda
• Melted as mantecatura for porcini mushroom risotto or for Brescian polenta
• As filling for Tortelli di Tremosine, a typical dish of local tradition
• Grated on fresh pasta or gnocchi when more aged
• Paired with a structured white wine from Lake Garda: Lugana DOC, Valtenesi Chiaretto, or a young red such as Valtènesi Groppello

Why choose it
The Formagella Tremosine al Tartufo carries a precise and verifiable geographical identity: the milk comes exclusively from farms in the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano, the truffle is that of Garda, the producer is a cooperative dairy with consolidated territorial roots. In the European market for artisan Italian cheeses, it is a reference with two distinct arguments: it belongs to the PAT category, which guarantees authenticity and traceability, and combines a territorial cheese little known outside Lombardy with an immediately appealing ingredient such as truffle. For an online specialty shop it is a position with low direct competition and high narrative potential.