Robiola di Roccaverano PDO

History of Robiola di Roccaverano

the Robiola di Roccaverano has ancient roots: there is evidence that the Celts in Liguria produced a similar cheese.

It was the Romans however who gave it the name “Rubeola”, from the Latin ruber, from the reddish colour of the rind after seasoning.

The cheese, and its production process, was also described by Plinio il Vecchio

Best enjoyed

Robiola di Roccaverano can be eaten either fresh or slightly matured.

If fresh, dress with a trickle of good quality extra virgin olive oil or with cugnà (Piedmontese quince preserve), accompanied by a dry white wine. The mature cheese goes well with wines made from sundried grapes.

Robiola di Roccaverano also makes an excellent filling for stuffed pasta or soufflés.

Storage

Some prefer to keep Robiola, whole or in pieces, in oil.

More practically, the cheese can be kept on the bottom shelf of the fridge, at a temperature of about 4°C.

It should be kept in a glass or plastic container with a lid, in order to preserve the softness and prevent it from transmitting or absorbing odours.

How it is produced

we produce Robiola di Roccaverano and the other goats' cheeses using using unpasteurized milk from our goats which are milked twice daily.

Immediately after milking the milk is cooled and later supplemented with produce from the morning session. Natural rennet , is added, the milk is churned and left to stand for a time ranging from 10 hours in summer to 36 hours in winter.

The whey is eliminated at this point and the curd is poured into moulds where it is turned several times over the course of the next 24 hours.

The next stage is dry salting; the cheese is then transferred to a storage room, at a temperature between 15 and 20 °C, for at least three days, prior to packaging and retail.

Mark of quality:

The product is packaged in paper carrying the logo of the Consortium for promotion of Robiola di Roccaverano PDO.

Type:
Fresh goats' milk cheese.

Description:
disc-shaped with flat surfaces, slightly ribbed; the weight varies from 250 to 400 about grams, the height from 4 to 5 centimetres and the diameter from 10 to 14 centimetres. There is no rind, the cheese itself has a fine texture and is milk white in colour.

Features:
The aroma and flavour are delicate and tasty, slightly sour.

Production area:
Produced in the area stretching across the provinces of Asti (11 municipalities) and Alessandria (9 municipalities), in the easternmost part of the Langhe.

Availability:
all year round.

Regulatory framework:
European Registration under EC regulation no. 1263/96, published in the Official Journal of the European Union L163/96 on 2 July 1996; national recognition under Presidential Decree 14 March 1979, published in the Italian Official Gazette no. 184 on 6 July 1979.