The AOP Alpine semi-hard cheese is the excellence of the Alpine economy of Ticino. The dough is soft and elastic. When the cheese is still young the taste is sweet and delicate, whereas if well-aged (over 90 days) it will become more intense and flavoured, with aromatic shades and nuances.
The Alpine cheese has a strong distinctive taste reminding the nature and environment it was born within, for instance the fragrance and scent of the woods, with nuances of conifer bark and resin, of mushrooms, alpine flowers and herbs (more than 150 different types) and spices. Its peculiarities first and foremost stem from the characteristics of the raw milk it is produced with; it varies according to the race of the animals and what they are fed.
The manufacturing techniques do not include any heat treatments thus the original microorganisms of the milk are respected. The colour ranges from straw-yellow if made with pure milk, to lighter tints if the cow milk is mixed with goat milk. The result is a highly nutritional and healty product containing the fatty acids, Omega 3 and 6. (Written by Luca M. Venturi, extract from “Il Cantone Ticino e la sua terra”, Alexa Edizioni and stea.ch. Picture: stea.ch)
Features
- TYPICAL PRODUCTS Cheese
