This particular dairy uses 21 million litres of milk every year to create a range of cheeses. Pecorino Romano is the standard cheese produced my most dairies in the region. However, the owner explained to me that its unique selling point is the broader range of traditional and fresh cheeses it produces on-site, and it keeps Pecorino production to a minimum.
37 types of cheese are made from sheep’s milk and 17 types of Ricotta are created within this vast mechanical dairy.
The workers are incredibly savvy when it comes to marketing and selling the cheese to suppliers. Demand determines quantity of production of each particular type of cheese, and individual consumer/regional tastes drives the type of cheese made and the packaging it’s presented in. Depending on this, the cheese is packaged accordingly. For example, cheeses being exported to France are packaged in traditional paper and may be stained red for a more authentic appearance. However, the same cheese will be packaged in plastic packaging for regions requesting modern packaging.
On UK shelves, consumers are presented with a vast array of low-fat, reduced fat and lactose-free options. When the Italian owner of this particular dairy was asked about the options provided for this market, he stared back at me and said, “Why would we make low fat cheese?”.
He explained that there was a time that certain quantities of cheese were made with skimmed milk, but there’s just not a market for it in Italy, so as demand depleted, so did production.
It seems there’s a misconception that Italian diets, including their choice cheese, are incredibly high in fat. This may be true to a certain degree, however the emphasis is on quality of produce, rather than quantity, and as the owner explained, cheese made from sheep’s milk is actually high in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), which transports fatty deposits in the body away from arteries, preventing blockages which can cause a number of health problems.
The majority of Italian cheese is therefore a nutritious form of calcium and cholesterol lowering properties. Standard full-fat cheese made from cow’s milk is high in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and we’re therefore advised to eat small quantities of the creamy yumminess in the UK.
It takes the dairy farmers an incredible two long years to see any kind of return of their investments, as this is the period of time it takes from collecting the milk from the shepherd to a packaged product ready for market. It’s a slow and precise journey, guided lovingly by the hard-working Italian dairy farmers.
Creatures of habit they may be, but these dairy farmers are masters of their trade. The mantra of ‘quality and not quantity’ would be a phrase I would hear more than once on this trip to Italy.
During my visit to Alghero, I visited the main producers of mussels or ‘cozza’ in the region: a family business called Cooperativa Olbia Mitili.
I was completely unaware of the complexities involved in farming mussels from sea to plate. The Italians are proud of the quality of their stock, and the owner explained how they’re tastier than anywhere else due to the salt content of the sea, which is a result of the calm waters. The sea in Sardinia has a natural salt content of 35g/litre compared to 25g/litre elsewhere.
Prior to harvesting the mussels ready for sale, they’re left to grow to an optimum size of 5cm. The smaller mussels are brought onto boats in large nets attached to a rope, placed into a tube-like net (‘pergalato’) and placed back into the sea to allow them to grow.
When they reach the size required for eating, they’re brought back onto the boat to be cleaned using a long filtration process to ensure no harmful substances remain.
Sardinia produces 65% of the whole mussel production market in Italy. 60% of the stock remains within the Italian market, as it’s believed that exportation can affect the natural flavour, which they wouldn’t want as a representation of Sardinian mussels. The quality of the molluscs are of such a superior quality that the fisherman were eating them raw, straight from the shell!
Not only do these underestimated molluscs endure a laborious production journey, they will adopt another role in the future. I was told that mussels provide the most powerful and valuable glue in the world. The liquid produced by the mussels is said to be worth €200,000/g.
Northwestern University researchers have developed a surgical glue based on the adhesive that mussels use to stick themselves to rocks below the ocean surface. An international team of scientists has tested the effectiveness of the glue in repairing damage in the human fetal membrane, a wet and fragile tissue, resulting in performance and toxicity improvements over common surgical glues.
‘Bisso’ would be a naturally derived and organic substance that could contribute to saving lives. That’s pretty good going for 5cm of pulsating amoeba.
The pride in food and passion for showcasing local produce with respect for the production process is evident in Sardinia. There’s a real sense of wanting to live off the land and stay true to traditional ideals. A real highlight for me was experiencing the gastronomical delights of an Agriturismo.
The concept goes something like this: an Italian family that utilises at least 70% of the produce they grow on their land, including olive oil, bread, honey, wine and pasta, are permitted to showcase their produce in the form of a banquet-style dining experience to passers-by without the need to declare themselves as an official business.
On the basis that you book in advance and state your budget (€20 and upwards) and the type of menu you require, the Italian family welcomes you into their home with open arms to share their culinary delights.
Up in the hills was a farm that only locals would know the location of, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and family pets wandering the land. I was introduced to the chef (someone’s mum) and sat at an immaculately laid table covered with freshly made antipasti created completely from scratch with ingredients harvested from the farm. Four more courses followed, including pasta, cheese and a meat course. The deep-fried pig testicles were an interesting local and hand-crafted speciality …
The dessert was a slightly bizarre and unusual concept for me, but with the chef standing behind awaiting my verdict, I soon cleared the plate of cheese in pastry drizzled with honey (a very popular dish in this area), and was surprised at how well it worked.
It was as if I was sat with the family at Christmas, overindulging and soaking up the sense of occasion. Loyalty to the area and ‘giving something back’ to the local community through food is an important aspect for the master chefs who run the Agriturismi.
As I waddled to the bus, I noticed a beautiful scene that really summed up the whole experience. Two elderly female relatives of the family, chatting and laughing in the sun while sorting through the olives picked fresh from their olive grove and looking truly proud of the fruits of their labour. More importantly they looked incredibly happy and healthy.
Rebecca is editorial assistant of FoodBev.com. You can contact her here, or read her blog here.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024