• Dudley in Umbria
• Bread
• Cheese
• Meat

CHEESE

• Umbria is fortunate enough to have the raw materials needed for the natural organic manufacture of dairy produce. One of the most celebrated dairy by-products, therefore, is cheese (formaggio) and Umbria has quite a respected tradition in its production. Although cheese features rather prominently in Italian cuisine it is not, in fact, heavily relied upon in the Umbrian diet but there is a long-standing custom of cheese making in the region.



• The most popular cheese in Umbria appears to be pecorino, although its traditional home is in the regions of Tuscany, Latium and Sardinia. Pecorino is made from the milk of Umbria’s sheep and appears in many guises such as young or aged, sweet or spicy, and mild or strong. On the whole, pecorino can easily be distinguished from other cheeses due to its generally strong flavour and pungent aroma.



• The production of pecorino began some two thousand years ago where it featured in the diet of the ancient Romans. The more affluent members of society would serve pecorino at banquets whilst the legionnaires would have it included as part of their basic rations because it was said to re-energise the weary. This isn’t far from the truth, as it has since been discovered that pecorino is a good source of energy and is light on the stomach because it is easily digested.



• The other most distinctive Umbrian cheeses are; - Ravigiolo: made from pasteurised full-cream milk and salted by being steeped in brine for a short time. Ravigiolo is a soft, mild and rindless cheese. - Ricotta: there are three types of ricotta cheese in the region. The first is made from sheep’s milk, the second from cow’s milk, whilst the third is a hybrid cheese made from a mixture of both sheep and cow’s milk. - Mozzarella: probably the most renowned Italian cheese due to its worldwide association with pizza. Mozzarella is a soft, white cheese with a stringy consistency and is produced from full-cream cow’s milk. - Caciotta: a cheese made from cow and sheep’s milk that is white in hue and with a consistency that is soft but firm. Its taste is buttery and pleasantly sharp. - Mascarpone: it is thought that mascarpone originated from other cheeses as a by-product. Sugar is often added to mascarpone, which explains its presence in sweet desserts such as tiramisu.



• Cheese making is entrusted with the Casari (the ‘dairymen’), who are the definitive experts in their field thanks to continuous generations of experience in managing and raising their stock and the subsequent production of milk. The production methods used today run in accordance with the laws and habits of old with modern implementations working alongside antiquated techniques solely for hygienic reasons.