Casciotta d'Urbino PDO - "Half wheel"

Casciotta d'Urbino PDO is a semi-cooked cheese produced with 70-80% whole sheep's milk and 20-30% cow's milk from two daily milkings, from farms located in the production area.

The production area of Casciotta d'Urbino PDO includes the entire territory of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the Marche region, and some municipalities in the province of Rimini, in the Emilia-Romagna region.

The milk is coagulated at 35-38 °C with animal rennet. The curd, once it has reached the necessary consistency, is broken until it obtains grains the size of a hazelnut; then, inside special moulds, it is subjected to pressing for a few hours to favour the loss of humidity. The next step is salting, which is done manually, generally by dry salting or alternating brine and dry salting. The last step is the maturing process, which takes place in rooms with a temperature of 10-14 °C and a humidity level of 80-90%, depending on the size of the wheel; the wheels are left to mature for 20-30 days, resulting in a fresher or more mature cheese. In order to prevent the possible development of mould, part of the Casciotta d'Urbino PDO production is coated with a glossy transparent wax to protect the rind.

The name Casciotta derives from "cascio", a territorial linguistic variant of the word 'cacio'. It is a cheese of ancient origins, produced as far back as the 15th century, at the time of the Dukes of Montefeltro and Della Rovere, who devoted particular attention to cheese production (as can be seen from the numerous regulations in the 'Urbino Constitutions' concerning it). This cheese was used in trade with Rome and the Papal States. Casciotta d'Urbino was often present at the great banquets and wedding banquets of the nobles of the time. According to tradition, even Michelangelo appreciated this cheese, especially the slightly matured one. Moreover, in 1761, Cardinal Ganganelli, the future Pope Clement XIV, from Rome thanked Abbot Antonio Tocci of Cagli in a letter for sending him exquisite casciotta.

Characteristics

Casciotta d'Urbino PDO has a thin rind of a straw-yellow colour when matured. It has a height of 5 to 7 cm and a diameter of between 12 and 16 cm. The paste is soft, crumbly with slight eye formation, straw-white in colour. The flavour is sweet and persistent with delicate, refined aromas and a slight acidulous note, with an aftertaste of green grass, characteristic of the special processing procedures.

Pairings

Extremely ductile in the kitchen, it is used as an ingredient in the preparation of various dishes, such as the filling of tortelli or fresh pasta stuffing. It can be served as a single dish, enriched and presented with many complementary ingredients that enhance it to the fullest, such as jams and vegetable preserves or a dash of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI. Perfect as an aperitif and for tasty hors d'oeuvres with local cured meats, paired with young, fragrant wines. As a dessert accompanied by honey, it goes well with sweet wines.

Sheep's milk, cow's milk, salt, rennet, cow's milk enzymes.

Preservatives on the rind: E235

Casciotta d'Urbino PDO should be stored at an ideal temperature of 4-8 °C, so if placed in the refrigerator, it should be placed on the least cold shelf. It is also advisable to bring it back to room temperature before consumption, so as to fully appreciate its special flavour.