Canestrato di Moliterno

Appearance & taste

Canestrato di Moliterno is a cylindrical wheel with a flat top and bottom 15 to 25 cm in diameter and a side 10 to 15 cm high that bulges outwards to a greater or lesser degree; depending on its size it weighs 2 to 5.5 kg. In the ripened cheese the rind is brown. The paste is compact, with irregularly distributed holes; in the young cheese (“primitivo”) it is white or slightly yellowish, in the “stagionato” and “extra” types a more or less deep straw yellow. The fat content in dry matter is at least 30 %.

At the start of ripening the cheese tastes rather mild and delicate, and over time more pronounced and sharper. It is used as a table cheese and as a grating cheese.

The name may only be used for cheese ripened for at least 60 days and may not be supplemented with additions such as “fine” or “scelto”. “Primitivo” (up to 6 months of ripening), “stagionato” (6 to 12 months) and “extra” (over 12 months) are allowed. Every wheel bears a fire brand 15 cm in diameter made up of two circles: on the outside the lettering “Canestrato di Moliterno”, on the inside the symbol of the municipality of Moliterno, a castle with three towers.

Production

Whole milk is used, 70 to 90 % from sheep and 10 to 30 % from goats. The sheep belong to the Gentile di Puglia, Gentile di Lucania, Leccese, Sarda and Comisana breeds or their crosses, the goats to the Garganica, Grigia Lucana, Maltese, Jonica, Camosciata and Rossa Mediterranea breeds or their crosses. The animals mainly eat pasture grass, green fodder and hay from the area; only oats, barley, wheat, maize, field beans and chickpeas may be fed as supplements. Silage and feed of animal origin are prohibited. The milk is processed no later than 48 hours after the first milking.

All steps up to the finished cheese take place in the area. Ripening takes place in the “fondaci” of the municipality of Moliterno, very cool, well-ventilated cellar rooms whose cold, dry climate, according to the specification, is what makes ripening succeed. Portioning and packaging are also only allowed in the area, so that traceability and control are ensured.

Origin & history

The milk comes from 53 municipalities in the province of Potenza and 15 municipalities in the province of Matera in Basilicata. The reputation of the cheese, according to the specification also beyond Italy, rests above all on the particular ripening and on the Gentile di Lucania breed of sheep. This undemanding breed suits the climate and relief of the area; it arose in the 15th century, when local sheep were crossed with Spanish Merino rams to combine good meat and wool yields. The sheep give little milk, but with a high fat and protein content. To make the best use of the mountain pastures, sheep and goats are kept together; the Lucanian goats give a lot of milk.

Sheep’s cheese has been made in Moliterno since the 18th century; the first records date from that time. According to the specification, the cheese was valued abroad even earlier and exported mainly to America.