Bitto

Product A semi-cooked fatty cheese with a hard paste.

Milk The output of the day’s first production of cow’s milk with the addition of 1/4 of its quantity of goat’s milk.

Origin It is a specialty of Lombardy and is produced in the Valtellina, as well as the valleys of the Bitto, Gerola and Albaredo.

Form and Dimensions Each cheese is 10-12 cm. (4-4 3/4 in.) high, has a diameter of 30-35 cm. (12-14 in.) and weighs 10-30 kilos (22-66 lb.).

Characteristics The paste of the fresh cheese is soft and white with minute pores. The flavor is only slightly aromatic. When it is aged, the cheese becomes yellow, more consistent and crumbly. The aging process results in tiny white dots on the surface, which are not signs that something has gone wrong. They indicate that the cheese has developed a more aromatic, piquant and delectable flavor. Bitto reaches complete perfection after three years of aging.

Types giovane (young): it is ready after one month of aging; the paste is soft, white, sweet and slightly aromatic. After one year of aging, the young cheese acquires a piquant flavor against a lightly aromatic background. aged: the paste becomes firm and flaky, like Parmesan, although it remains creamy.

Aging or Ripening from one to 3-8 months for the young type. 3 years for the aged type. In some cases, the cheese has been aged and shown improvement for a period of as much as 10 years.

Consumption Whether young or aged, Bitto is an exquisite cheese for consumption at the table.

Production The cheese is produced in grazing areas in the Alps at altitudes of 4,920 feet in the summer season that runs from March to November. As soon as it is collected, and without skimming, the milk is heated to 35°-37° C. (95°-99° F.). Throughout the process it is stirred by a rotary blade to ensure even distribution of the heat. Rennet is added to the heated milk and, once curdling has been completed, the curds are broken up in two stages, first into large pieces and then into slivers the size of wheat grains. The curds are stirred constantly to keep them from ÒblisteringÓ from the heat. The curds are then removed from the whey in a cloth and put in molds. The cheese is pressed for 24 hours to extract all of the remaining whey and, during this period, the curds develop the proper degree of acidity. The cheese is dry salted on both faces on alternating days and left to ripen in rooms where the temperature is kept at 12°-16° C. (54°-61° F.). After 40 days, the Bitto is ready for sale or it can be left to age for a varying period to develop a more intense flavor.

Storage Young Bitto should be kept in a cool place, wrapped in paper. The aged version should also be kept in a cool place but it should be wrapped in a clean cloth.

Gastronomy Bitto makes an excellent accompaniment for the typical preparations of the region where it is producedÑslices of soft polenta (cornmeal mush) or melted over thin slices of polenta toasted in the oven. The cheese also goes extremely well with a specialty of the region, pizzoccheri (buckwheat noodles), or as a main ingredient of the insalata di bresaola e rucola (dried beef and rocket salad).