Valtellina Casera PDO

Valtellina Casera is the most representative cheese of the province of Sondrio and an indispensable ingredient for three emblematic dishes of Lombard alpine cuisine: Pizzoccheri, Sciatt and Polenta taragna - a gastronomic trio that has shaped the culinary identity of the Valtellina for centuries. The history of Casera is closely tied to that of the casere - the collective ageing warehouses that alpine communities have jointly managed since the Middle Ages, where summer-produced wheels were stored for winter. The first documented mention of a cheese de casera in the Valtellina dates to 1500, in the register of a Valtellinese monastery. The European PDO was recognised in 1996. The specification requires the exclusive use of partially skimmed cow's milk by creaming - a traditional technique that reduces fat but concentrates proteins - exclusively from farms in the province of Sondrio. Minimum ageing is 70 days in the casere at 6-13 degrees C. In young versions the flavour is sweet; with ageing, notes of alpine hay and dried fruit emerge.

• Temperature: 4-8 degrees C, wrapped in cheese paper or damp cloth
• Do not seal in cling film: the semi-hard paste must breathe
• Use within 2-3 weeks of opening for young versions; 4-5 for aged
• Do not freeze

In the kitchen: Fundamental and irreplaceable ingredient of Pizzoccheri della Valtellina - with melted butter, savoy cabbage and potatoes. Base of Sciatt - buckwheat fritters with melted cheese heart. Melted on Polenta taragna with alpine butter. On a Valtellinese board with bresaola and apples. Pairing: Valtellina Superiore Sassella or Inferno PDO to enhance the alpine notes.

Certification: PDO — Protected Designation of Origin (EU)

Description:
Semi-fat cheese with semi-cooked and semi-hard paste, made from partially skimmed cow's milk of traditional breeds from the province of Sondrio. Sweet, milky flavour that acquires notes of dried fruit and hay with ageing. Double marking: origin by the producer and quality by the Consortium (applied after 70 days).

Certifying body:
Consorzio Tutela Valtellina Casera e Bitto + CSQA Certificazioni

🌐 Official website  |  📄 Production specification (PDF)

• Allergens: cow's milk (pasteurised or thermised depending on the producer)
• Lactose: present in young versions; reduced in versions aged over 6 months
• Gluten: absent
• Pregnancy: check label for raw, thermised or pasteurised milk
• Vegan/vegetarian: not suitable (animal rennet)