L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 6 FRANCESCA BEZZONE M y region, Piem- onte, is known for its good cheeses: Tùma, Raschera, Castel- magno, robiola di Roccaverano are only a handful of the many delicious and fragrant milk-based delicacies it has to offer. You understand that loving cheese and that other typical product of Piemonte, fine wine, comes as natural as breathing for those born there, and I am no exception, especially when it comes to cheese. Since my childhood, cheese was one of my favorite things and mind, I am not talking cheese tri- angles, nor mild flavored (albeit delicious) mozzarella. I liked mature sheep and cow cheese, what we call Tùma, especially the buttery part between its thick but flavorful crust and the cheese itself. I loved Gorgonzola, in par- ticular with polenta and mixed with mascarpone and, of course, I loved Castelmagno, also because I could have it with honey and jam. Yes, I loved food as child: no wonder my uncle used to say "when you grow up, your boyfriend's better getting you jewellery rather than dinner:" in his eyes, evidently, my portions size and eagerness to eat every- thing on display on the table were to make me an expensive dinner date. There was one peculiar flavor, however, I wasn't too fond as a child: the slightly spiced, slightly tannic taste of "furmaj en t'la râpa," that is, cheese let mature under grape marc. Usually hard and with a deep purple color, this cheese was probably too aromatic for a child's palate, who had yet to experience the pleasures of a good glass of wine. For years I had forgotten about our "furmaj en t'la râpa" until one evening, a couple of years ago, I was offered some by a friend to conclude a delicious dinner: unlike that child of yore, I truly enjoyed the cheese texture and flavor. All this to say that using wine and grape marc may sound strange to many, but it's not that uncommon in some areas of Italy. The history of this cheese, for- maggio ubriaco in Italian, which means "drunk cheese," originates, however, not in my beloved Piemonte, but in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, where cheese makers got into the habit to protect cheese wheels from bacteria and parasites by covering them with grape marc. This resulted not only in a better preservation of the cheese, but also in the particular and unique taste of its crust. Because of the area of origin of this tradition, Montasio, Fagagna and Marsure cheeses were among the most commonly used for the procedure; typical of the Italian North East were also the grapes used, like Raboso, Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Some believe the tradition was born from the old habit to clean and smooth cheese wheels while maturing, by rubbing grape marc on them, because doing the same with oil had become too expen- sive. Others date back the birth of formaggio ubriaco to First World War times, when farmers of the North East of Italy would hide their cheese by immersing it into wine must. The trick turned out to be quite useful not only because farmers managed to keep their food safe from the pillaging of soldiers, but also because it helped preserve it for longer, while giving it a truly interesting taste. Another tradition tells us that, once upon a time, a farmer from the Treviso province decid- ed to hide his cheese under fer- menting must, so that his landlord could not see it and take it. The result was a delicious and unique product, of which we still today enjoy the quality. In general, the type of cheese used to make formaggio ubriaco is the same in every region: it has to be mature and semi-hard, the wheel measuring about 25 cm in diameter and 10 in thickness. Only the best wheels, aged between 60 days and 24 months, are used. They are immersed in grape marc for a period that changes on the basis of the cheese's level of maturation: fresher cheeses only need 8 to 10 days of immersion, whereas more mature wheels require a month. Once the process is complete, wheels are dried, cleaned and let mature for a time between 15 and 30 days - sometimes more - before being put on the market. Whereas formaggio ubriaco's crust takes the deep dark colors of wine and grape marc, it's always white inside, with an unmistak- able scent of wine and milk exud- ing from it. Its flavor is full, very aromatic, somehow tangy and spicy, yet with a very distinct mildness to it. The area around Treviso, we said, is considered the motherland of formaggio ubriaco but, as my very own experience demon- strates, this is a delicacy common also in Piemonte and, in fact, a bit everywhere in the Alps. In Alto- Adige Weinkäse, or wine cheese, is a traditional product, usually made by steeping mature cheese in Lagrein grape marc. In Piemonte, strong mature cheese from the Alpine area of Valcasot- to is steeped in grape marc and Barolo wine, to create a product that has recently won the Slow Food award for best formaggio ubriaco in Italy. Even outside our national borders, the tradition of getting mountain cheese tipsy is common, especially in Austria and Bavaria. Formaggio ubriaco is a versa- tile delicacy: it can be eaten as an aperitivo, diced and served on its own, or accompanied with honey and a glass of red, possibly the same it has been matured into, as a lovely way to conclude a dinner. It works magically as an ingredi- ent, too, especially in earthy risot- ti: risotto with radicchio di Trevi- so and formaggio ubriaco, risotto with pears, walnuts and formag- gio ubriaco or, quite simply, risot- to with wine and formaggio ubria- co. Because it necessitates grape marc to be made, our "drunk cheese" is produced only during the Fall, specifically during the period straight after grape harvest. For this reason, it's usually avail- able only during the Fall and Winter months. The tradition to steep cheese in grape marc is typical of the Alpine areas of Italy From Piemonte to Veneto, the odd tradition to get cheese "drunk" LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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