Canestrato Pugliese
Canestrato Pugliese is an Italian sheep cheese.
history
For more than 1000 years, intensive forest and pasture management has been practiced in the Alta Murgia area near Bari .
Canestrato Pugliese's name comes from the woven wicker baskets in which it matures. These baskets are called 'fiscelle' in the Apulian dialect and are still one of the typical handicraft products in Apulia, which tourists like to buy as souvenirs . By changing pastures in sheep farming, the Canestrato has been widespread for centuries. In 1946 the Canestrato production experienced a turning point, the forward-looking livestock owners in the area formed associations, which had a positive effect on the agricultural development of the entire region.
Trademark
The real Canestrato Pugliese has a characteristic loaf edge, which gets its pattern from the shape of the wicker baskets (now plastic, of course). A special label is not specified, but must be provided with the product name.
Manufacturing
The Casciotta is made from sheep's (70–80%) and whole cow milk (20–30%). The milk is curdled at a temperature of 35 ° C. The curd is pressed into the mold by hand. This is followed by alternating dry salting with a salt bath. The minimum maturation period is 20 days.
Manufacturing area
The production area of the Canestrato covers the entire area of the province of Foggia and another 16 cities of the metropolitan city of Bari .
Use in the kitchen and storage
The storage temperature should be between 4 ° C and 8 ° C. The consumption temperature should be room temperature. The young cheese (approx. 90 days) is suitable for refining salads and is often eaten with broad beans in the region . The matured cheese is usually grated to round off pasta dishes, but is also ideal as a table cheese.
Web links
- Information page of the Canestrato. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014 ; accessed on March 18, 2018 .
- Info page of the consortium (Italian / English)