Salva Cremasco PDO

The Salva Cremasco DOP is a traditional cheese from Lombardy, specifically from the province of Crema. It is a semi-hard cheese, produced with cow's milk, and has a characteristic square shape. Here's everything you need to know about this exquisite cheese.

History and Origin of Salva Cremasco DOP:

The Salva Cremasco DOP is a cheese rich in history and traditions, whose presence in local culture is widely documented.

In the "Etimological Dictionary of the Cremasco dialect", published in 1940, it is defined as a "hardened Cremasco stracchino", preserved for the winter through an oil spread. The name "salva" seems to derive from the function of the cheese to preserve or "save" the excess of milk, as testified by the stories handed down by generations of producers and agers.

Historical evidence indicates that cheese production in the Crema region became significant after the year 1000, in conjunction with the urban development of the area. The Salva Cremasco is represented in many works of art of the time and mentioned in historical documents, confirming its constant presence in the culinary tradition of the region.

Characteristics of Salva Cremasco DOP:

The product appears as a quadrangular parallelepiped shape with:

    Flat face on the side between 11 and 13 cm or between 17 and 19 cm;
    Heel: straight included between 9 and 15 cm;
    Weight: between 1.3 Kg and 5 Kg;
    Crust: of thin thickness, smooth sometimes flowered, of medium consistency with presence of characteristic microflora.
    Paste: with rare eyes distributed irregularly. It has a tendency to compact, crumbly consistency, softer in the part immediately under the crust due to the predominantly centripetal maturation. White in color tending to straw yellow with increasing maturation. The taste of the pasta is aromatic and intense with more pronounced connotations with the passage of maturation.

During the maturation period, which lasts for a minimum of 75 days, the shape is frequently turned and treated with a cloth soaked in saline solution or brushed dry, in order to maintain the characteristics of the crust and reduce the hyphae, contributing to make the shape assume the characteristic coloring. No treatment of the crust is allowed, except for sponging with water and salt, and the possible use of edible oil and aromatic herbs.

Conservation:

The Salva Cremasco DOP must be kept in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp cotton cloth or in a plastic food wrap. It is important to avoid storing it near foods with strong odors, as it could absorb them.

Use in the Kitchen:

This cheese is extremely versatile in the kitchen. It can be used in a variety of dishes, from risotto to pasta, from salads to gratins. It is also delicious on its own, accompanied by a good red or white wine.

Nutritional Values of Salva Cremasco DOP: