Soft Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet

Abruzzo sheep's milk pecorino cheese with a bloomy rind, inspired by the Lombard Taleggio cheesemaking technique: the meeting of two great Italian traditions.

Raw pasture milk, coarsely broken, humid environment: a small artisanal masterpiece weighing 1,2 kg that bears the poetic name of the Sonnet

Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet from the La Porta dei Parchi organic farm

Il Soft Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet of the ASCA Cooperative – Bioagriturismo La Porta dei Parchi of Anversa degli Abruzzi is a refined and ingenious gastronomic innovation and hybridizes two great Italian dairy traditions: the millenary wisdom of the Lombard Taleggio Valley — cradle of the famous Taleggio DOP with a bloomy rind — and the excellence of the raw sheep's milk from Abruzzo pastures of ASCA. The result is a soft cheese with a bloomy rind made from sheep's milk, with a small and compact shape (about 1,2 kg (whole-form) — a bite of tradition and experimentation together. The name "Sonnet" it is a poetic tribute to Italian literature: like the sonnet of Dante, Petrarca or Cavalcanti - that short, collected poetic form, with a harmonious structure and extraordinary expressive density - this cheese too is contained in the dimensions ma rich in sensory intensity, capable of enclosing in just a few grams the full expressive breadth of the best mountain milk. composition respects the essentiality of the ASCA dairy: organic raw sheep's milk, rennet, sea ​​salt. Nothing else. No added laboratory ferments, no preservatives: the cheese comes to life exclusively thanks to the native bacterial flora of freshly milked milk and the maturing environment - including the noble molds (Penicillium candidum and similar) that spontaneously colonize the crust in the humid environment of the cellar, creating that characteristic white-pink flowery rind much loved by enthusiasts.
 
 
 

The roots of Taleggio are buried in the Bergamo valleys of medieval transhumance

Il Taleggio It is one of the oldest and noblest soft cheeses in Italy: its documented production dates back to 10th-11th century of Val Taleggio, a valley of Bergamasque Prealps which gives its name to the cheese. The origins of Taleggio are deeply linked to the practice of transhumance: it was born as “stracchino” — from “stracchin”, a word from the Lombard dialect meaning “tired”, referring to tired cows After the long descent from the summer mountain pastures to the Po Valley for the winter, the milk obtained from those cows, tired from the transhumance journey, was particularly rich and aromatic due to the high pastures rich in herbs. It produced a cheese with a soft and yielding texture, a characteristic rind, and an intense aroma. Aged in karst limestone caves of the valley — naturally cold and humid — the Taleggio develops a bloomy crust thanks to the action of native noble molds, and a soft dough with a slightly creamy heart that becomes smoother with maturation. The entire history of Taleggio is therefore intertwined with that of transhumant pastoralism — the same ancient practice that characterizes the Abruzzo sheep farming of ASCA, where however the sheep (and not the cows) travelled along the UNESCO sheep tracks between the summer pastures of the Majella and the winter pastures of the Tavoliere delle Puglie.brilliant idea of ASCA was to apply the Bergamo cheesemaking technique to own Abruzzo sheep's milk: a synthesis that unites the better than Northern and Southern Italy, two transhumance traditions that meet in a small form of pecorino with a bloomy rind. The result is a unpublished cheese but deeply Italian in his soul: a “gastronomic poem” — the Sonettoin fact.
 
 
 

The technique: rough breaking, humid environment, bloomy crust

La processing of Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet faithfully follows the classic procedure of Taleggio Bergamasco but applied to Abruzzo sheep's milk. Raw milk, freshly milked and hygienically perfect thanks to the careful zootechnical hygiene practices of ASCA, it is heated to low temperatures (36-38°C) — temperatures that roughly correspond to the sheep's body temperature and which fully preserve active enzymes, thermolabile vitamins, noble bacterial flora and volatile aromatic compounds. After the addition of rennet and coagulation, the the breaking of the curd is coarse (vs the milder breakage of Pecorino Pizzo Marcello, the other soft pecorino from ASCA): this is precisely what happens technical difference which characterizes Taleggio-type cheeses, guaranteeing a increased serum retention in the pasta and therefore that typical consistency soft, yielding, creamy in the heart of the mature form. The seasoning it happens on wooden planks a naturally humid environment which promotes the spontaneous development of the noble bacterial flora and white mold on the surface — the very famous one “bloomed crust” which becomes progressively more consistent as the cheese matures. It is during the maturation that the Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto develops its aromatic complexity: time, patience, care, wood, temperatures and the right humidity they do the rest, enriching the cheese with increasingly complex and harmonious perfumes and aromas — the sensory signature of great raw milk cheeses with natural maturation.
 
 
 

Choosing Sonetto means choosing richness, biodiversity and excellent proteins

The Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto offers the nutritional richness typical of great raw milk sheep's cheesesThe richness of ASCA cheeses derives – as the producers themselves declare – from two distinctive factors: the pasture quality, very rich in aromatic plants which characterize a unique biodiversity in Europe (the pastures of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and the surrounding parks include over 2.000 botanical species), and the raw milk processing which preserves the integrity of all nutritional and aromatic compounds. raw sheep's milk It is naturally richer than cow's milk Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins (especially B2, B12 and folates) and short and medium chain fatty acids that make it more digestible of cow's milk. The noble bacterial flora of maturing with raw milk brings benefits to the intestinal flora and is considered one of the qualitative distinctive traits of the great traditional European cheeses. bloomy crust — the result of the action of noble molds such as Penicillium candidum — is an integral part of the product and completely edible, contributing significantly to the final aromatic profile: it is recommended to consume it together with pasta to fully enjoy the sensory experience. Gluten free naturally; not suitable for lactose intolerant people (sheep's milk contains less lactose than cow's milk, but it is still present).
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto

• POLENTA, RISOTTOS AND FIRST COURSES FROM THE NORTH-CENTRAL ITALIAN TRADITION
  The most used identity-based and gastronomically coherent of Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet is in the preparations that traditionally marry Taleggio bergamasco —now revisited in an Abruzzese key thanks to the ovine character of the Sonnet. Splendid as protagonist of polenta concia revisited Bergamo: cook the Bramata Corn Flour for Organic Polenta on a low heat for 40-50 minutes, and at the end of cooking stir in diced Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto + a spoonful of vegetable butter or EVO + a sprinkling of black pepper — the Abruzzo-Bergamo “polenta concia”. For a more rustic version, try the Fioretto Corn Flour finer, ideal for creamy polenta. Gorgeous in risotto creamed at the end of cooking — particularly refined are the risottos with pears, wild herbs, and porcini mushrooms. Exceptional in Valtellina pizzoccheri: buckwheat pasta + cabbage + potatoes + diced Pecorino Taleggio Sonnet melted on top — gourmet vegetarian version of a Northern Italian classic. Splendid in baked potato gnocchi, in tagliatelle with white ragù enriched at the end of cooking, in mushroom lasagna.
• GOURMET APPETIZERS WITH FRUIT AND SIGNATURE COMPOTES
  La soft dough delicacy , aromatic complexity of the flowery crust make the Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto a protagonist of excellence gourmet appetizers — splendid in a signature platter together with other soft cheeses from the catalogue such as Brie "Fiocco della Tuscia", the Margherita Goat's Robiola, the Lactose-Free Amerina Caciotta for a rich Italian regional composition. Themost noble combination is with the fresh pears: try it with Organic Abate Pears cut into slices — the classic combination of “pears with cheese”, even cited by the proverb “don't tell the cheese how good pears are” — or with the Organic Kaiser Pears more rustic. Splendid with Organic Sorrento Walnuts, With the Organic Apricot Compote for a sweet-fruity note, with a veil of Organic Wildflower Honey For those with a sweet tooth. Serve with lightly toasted homemade bread.
• GOURMET PIZZAS, CHEESE-FLAVOURED FOCACCI AND BAKED TOMINI CHEESE
  The high melting capacity of Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto — a typical characteristic of Taleggio-type cheeses — makes it an exceptional protagonist in baked preparations where the cheese is melted. Gorgeous in the gourmet pizzas in high-Italian style: try it on a White pizza with a base of EVO + Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto cubes + late radicchio + chopped walnuts + raw honey after cooking; or on a porcini mushroom pizza + Sonnet fused for a rich and fragrant variant. Splendid in stuffed focaccias from the Bergamo tradition (with walnuts and cooked ham) or from Abruzzo. Exceptional as baked tomino cheese: cut a small slice of Pecorino Sonetto, place it on a bed of late radicchio or Belgian endive + a few walnuts + acacia honey + a couple of drops of balsamic vinegar, bake at 200°C for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the inside is melted. Splendid as a filling in puff pastry baskets with seasonal vegetables, in gratinated omelettes, On baked bruschetta.

The Producer: La Porta dei Parchi Organic Farmhouse — ASCA Cooperative

The ASCA Cooperative of Antwerp of the Abruzzi (AQ) It is one of the most fascinating experiences of Italian organic agriculture: founded in 1977 by Nunzio Marcelli, developed since 1982 together with Manuela, it almost counts 40 years of extensive organic pastoralism in the highlands of Abruzzo. Certified ICEA Organic, inserted into the circuit Slow Food and Taste Workshops, is famous for the pioneering project “Adopt a sheep, protect nature" and for having won a historic regulatory battle for the defense of raw milk in traditional Abruzzo cheeses. Produces 15 varieties of sheep and goat cheeses, sheep's milk salami, juniper-smoked ricotta, and organic wool. Pecorino Taleggio Sonetto is one of the Cooperative's most refined gastronomic innovations, an example of its ability to combine Italian cheesemaking tradition with expert experimentation.
 
 
 

Ingredients

LATTE raw organic sheep*, rennet, sea salt.

*From ICEA-certified Italian organic farming. Raw, unpasteurized milk. Processed at low temperatures (36-38°C). The curd is coarsely broken according to the Lombard Taleggio tradition. Aged on wood in a humid environment to allow the bloomy rind to form spontaneously. Contains milk and its derivativesGluten-free. Naturally without added enzymes, preservatives, colorants, or additives. Edible bloomy crust: integral part of the product, to be consumed together with pasta. Not suitable for lactose intolerant people (lactose in traces due to natural fermentation, but still present).
 
 
 

Food container

Store in refrigerator (4-8°C) In the original packaging until consumed. Expiration date shown on the packaging. Once opened the packaging, it is advisable wrap the cheese in baking paper or in a slightly damp cotton cloth (avoid plastic film in direct contact with the bloomy rind, which would prevent the cheese from "breathing") and store it in a container with a lid in the refrigerator, consuming it within 5 7-days to best enjoy its aromas. Before consumption, it is recommended to remove the cheese from the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before to allow the pasta to return to room temperature: soft pasta expresses its qualities best complex aromas and its creamy consistency only at room temperature, while the cold of the fridge keeps it compact and significantly attenuates the aromas. white-pink bloomy crust it's perfectly edible and an integral part of the sensory experience of Taleggio: don't remove it even if it appears slightly pink or if it naturally develops small amber spots (a sign of natural seasoning).
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(indicative average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy: 1.713 kJ / 413 kcal
• Fat: 34,4 g (of which saturated fatty acids: 30,2 g)
• Carbohydrates: 2,47 g (of which sugars: <0,50 g)
• Fiber: 0,10 g
• Protein: 23,5 g
• Salt: 1,71 g

Since this is a handcrafted product, slight variations in weight are possible, variations that preserve the integrity of the product and testify to its authentically traditional nature.
 
 
 

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