VASTEDDA DELLA VALLE DEL BELICE PDO

$19.99

Unique in its kind.

It was an old Sicilian cheese maker who, while processing the milk of his sheep to make cheese, put the curd into reed baskets. When the milk began to turn sour because of the heat, he tried to remedy the problem by soaking it in hot water. Thanks to this particular technique, the curd began to stretch and then, when he placed it on a plate, it took on its characteristic “focaccia” shape. This is how the first Vastedda della Valle del Belice cheese was born.

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Description

It was an old Sicilian cheese maker who, while processing the milk of his sheep to make cheese, put the curd into reed baskets. When the milk began to turn sour because of the heat, he tried to remedy the problem by soaking it in hot water. Thanks to this particular technique, the curd began to stretch and then, when he placed it on a plate, it took on its characteristic “focaccia” shape. This is how the first Vastedda della Valle del Belice cheese was born. This valley has a very long tradition of sheep farming, especially for the production of cheese, among which Vastedda is particularly notable.

It was usually made between June and September and was often found in traditional rural festivities, such as the wheat harvest, the grape harvest, etc. The cheese-making tradition, in terms of methods and timing, has remained virtually unchanged: the sheep still graze in the meadows and are sheltered in pens that guarantee the animals’ complete wellbeing and consequently the best quality milk.

Vastedda della Valle del Belice PDO is still an artisan cheese, processed by expert cheese makers with extreme skill and professionalism, using traditional techniques and utensils made of wood and reeds. The Vastedda della Valle del Belice PDO production zone covers 18 municipalities in the provinces of Agrigento, Trapani and Palermo, in the region of Sicily.

Characteristics

Vastedda Valle del Belice PDO is one of the very few stretched-curd sheep’s milk cheeses. Its distinctive flavour is typical of fresh sheep’s milk cheese, with slightly acidic and never piquant notes. Its paste is white, compact, with some streaks due to the artisan stretching process. The characteristic focaccia shape, with its slightly convex faces, makes Vastedda unmistakable. The paste is smooth, not grainy, sometimes with slight streaking due to artisan stretching. There should be no or very few eyes, as well as very little sweating, while the aroma is characteristic of fresh sheep’s milk with a sweet, fresh and pleasant flavour and slightly acidic hints. Its fat content is no less than 35% of the dry matter, while its sodium chloride content does not exceed 5% of the dry matter.

The territory

Raw milk from Valle del Belice sheep, bred and allowed mainly to graze freely. Vastedda della Valle del Belice is made by Sicilian artisan cheesemakers who, aided by indigenous cheese micro-flora, manage to stretch this sheep’s cheese. Only fresh milk from Valle del Belice sheep is used. Producers of Vastedda della Valle del Belice PDO are monitored by the IZS, with operation in compliance with the Production Regulations for Vastedda della Valle del Belice PDO cheese and the Control System approved by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies.

How it is made

In keeping with tradition, the milk is heated to a temperature of 40°C. After that, lamb rennet is added. It takes about 50 minutes to form the curd, which must be broken up finely. The mass is transferred into reed containers called fuscelle, where it is left to rest for 24-48 hours, during which the cheese acidifies. At this point, the mass is extracted, cut into strips and placed in a wooden vat known as a piddiaturi. Hot water is then added and a wooden paddle, a vaciliatuma, is used to stretch the cheese. Once stretched, the paste is moulded on tavuleri, forming braids that are placed in bowls. The paste settles on these plates and, after being turned a few times, takes on its characteristic focaccia shape. The utensils used for the preparation of Vastedda della Valle del Belice PDO are traditional historical utensils handed down through the generations. They are made of wood and include the piddiaturi, the tina, the tavuleri, the rotula and the stick used for stretching, as well as the reed fuscelle. These all enrich the milk with pro-dairy microbial flora and naturally give Vastedda della Valle del Belice its particularity and specificity.

Properties

The paste is even white in colour, smooth, not grainy, sometimes with slight streaking due to artisan stretching. There should be no or very few eyes, as well as very little sweating, while the aroma is characteristic of fresh sheep’s milk with a sweet, fresh and pleasant flavour and slightly acidic hints. Its fat content is no less than 35% of the dry matter, while its sodium chloride content does not exceed 5% of the dry matter. Its average protein content exceeds that of other types of fresh sheep’s milk cheeses. This is due to its particular processing: the stretching process generates a leaching of the fat which results in an increase in protein content compared to other cheeses of the same weight. It is therefore an excellent source of nutrients, especially proteins, fat-soluble vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus and calcium. Its low fat content also makes it light and remarkably easy to digest.

Consortium for the Protection of Vastedda della Valle del Belice Pdo

The Consortium for the Protection of Vastedda della valle del Belice PDO was promoted by the Regional Association of Livestock Breeders of Sicily, the Zootechnical Institute of the Faculty of Agriculture in Palermo, the Regional Province of Agrigento, the Regional Province of Trapani, the Professional Agricultural Organisations and the municipalities of Santa Margherita Belice, Sambuca di Sicilia, Menfi, Sciacca, Partanna and Castelvetrano, in which this exquisite sheep’s milk cheese is made. The Consortium assumes responsibility for protecting and promoting the prized stretched-curd sheep’s cheese and safeguarding the entire historical, cultural and production heritage of the Valle del Belice. The Consortium for the Protection of Vastedda della valle del Belice PDO is flanked constantly by the IZS, the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily, and the ONAF.

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