When 12 cheese makers rebel against industry to save something extraordinary
The jewel of the Valle Brembana, the unique Storico Ribelle cheese, produced only in summer in very limited quantities, can now be found in stores and on the italians e-shop.
HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION
In the Valle Brembana in Lombardy, local shepherds have been making bitto cheese on mountain pastures every summer for centuries. It has always been made by hand, slowly, in cauldrons over a fire and in very small quantities. However, 25 years ago, pressure began to mount for more industrial production, which was opposed by 12 rebel cheesemakers. They refused to accept the consortium's relaxed rules, preserved traditional craft production, and named their Bitto cheese STORICO RIBELLE ("historic rebel").
ONLY 3 MONTHS A YEAR, MOUNTAIN MEADOWS, COPPER KETTLES, AND HANDS
Today, Storico Ribelle is produced by only 12 cheesemakers and only 3 months a year, when herds of cows and goats are on mountain pastures and their milk is at its best. Throughout the summer, the animals graze on various wild herbs, which give their milk a unique flavor and nutrients. The cheese is made right in the mountains, just as it used to be. Unpasteurized, freshly milked cow's and goat's milk is gently heated over a fire in copper pots, and the cheese mass is then shaped by hand into wooden molds. Because the milk is not pasteurized, it remains alive: it retains all its properties, flavors and aromas, nutrients and healthy bacteria. The entire production process is very demanding and slow, with one cheesemaker able to produce a maximum of 1-3 molds per day!
AN EXPLOSION OF FLAVORS
Storico Ribelle is ideal for long maturation, maturing for at least 70 days on fir shelves, but it can easily last 10 years or more. Unlike industrially produced cheeses, it has a distinctive flavor that literally explodes in your mouth. It is reminiscent of herbs, dried fruit, and nuts. It is suitable for seasoning dishes such as polenta and for accompanying a glass of red wine such as Amarone della Valpolicella.
PRESIDIO SLOW FOOD
Storico Ribelle is a real gem, and the Slow Food organization is fighting to preserve it, adding it to its list of unique Presidio Slow Food products.