A CHEESE OF EXCELLENCE FROM THE VERONESE MOUNTAINS

The virtual journey between the Protected Designations of Origin ( PDO ) and the Protected Geographical Indications ( PGI ), or the excellence of European agri-food, proposed every week by VenetoAgricolturaChannel , the multimedia channel of the regional agency, arrives today in the Scaligeri mountains to meet Monte Veronese DOP cheese (the video, accompanied by a technical sheet, is available like all the others in the review on the Veneto Agriculture YouTube channel at the following link: https://youtu.be/_VJb5CbTFFc).

"The Monte Veronese PDO cheese - underlines the President of the Protection Consortium , Alfonso Albi , in the in-depth interview - is a cheese highly appreciated by consumers, not only from Veneto but also from other Italian regions and Northern European countries, where the Our product finds important outlet markets. Few numbers are enough to frame this semi-cooked paste cheese produced with whole cow's milk in the 'Whole Milk type', or partially skimmed in the 'Alevo type'. Each year the 8 consortium producers produce 100,000 forms of Monte Veronese PDO; 8,000 are instead the head of cows reared and distributed in about 120 stalls in the area and, in the summer, in the 15 mountain huts present at an altitude of more than 1,000 in the Veronese mountains "

The milk with which the Monte Veronese PDO cheese is produced is obtained from Frisona , Bruna and Pezzata Rossa breed cows reared exclusively in the area defined in the specification including the municipalities of the northern part of the province of Verona.

The origins of the Monte Veronese cheese date back to the 13th century, when a group of German settlers, the Cimbri, coming from the Asiago plateau, obtained the previously uninhabited lands of the Veronese mountain in usufruct. It is since then that this area has become the site of an industrious dairy business.

This extraordinary Venetian cheese is marketed in the Monte Veronese PDO Whole Milk types, aged for 25-45 days (light green label), and Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo, with a minimum aging of three months (blue label). Much appreciated by connoisseurs is the product of the summer malga available from May to October.

Monte Veronese PDO goes well with fresh fruit or nuts, such as pears and walnuts, but is also suitable for use as an ingredient in the preparation of first and second courses. The type of Allevo, more seasoned and with a stronger flavor, is a tasty cheese to be consumed at the end of a meal, but is also used as a grating cheese. Finally, the pairing with slightly fruity red wines has been guessed.