Signal – a small goat farm in the Savoie

Signal is also a chèvre

The small farm Signal is located on the south side of Lake d’Aiguebelette, in the village of d’Attignat-Oncin in Savoie. The livestock consists of 60 goats of the breed Alpine, three bucks and around 15 cows. Now Savoie and Haute-Savoie are not so famous for their goat cheeses, but they exist. And they are good! GAEC Signal is such a farm that keeps goats and makes good cheese. Peculiar cheeses some would say. As far as I know, they make around eight different varieties from less than 100 grams and up to half a kilo, of which I have tasted three, but it is perhaps the three most famous, to the extent that we can talk about these cheeses are famous. A traditional goat farm that follows the season, Signal, which for their part means from early February to about mid-November. These 60 goats milk around 60,000 liters during a season. It should be three and a half liters of milk per day per goat which is pretty good.

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Chèvre from Beaujolais

Beaujolais
Galette du Beaujolais – chèvre from Beaujolais

For my part, I think it comes a lot of good from Beaujolais. Most famous are probably the wines and I definitely have a taste for them, even if I stay away from Beaujolais Nouveau. The hysterical times are over. But it was fun. Recently, however, I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with chèvre from Beaujolais. So if most beaujolais wines, but not all of them, are light and fruity, then in return they are chèvres from the region that has come my way, not at all. On the contrary. Quite striking. Even though the first cheese I got was so rammed that all the hair on me stood straight out, and I have tasted a little of each, it went in return to the affineur, and a new supply was sent. Milder and in good condition, but with a clear and distinct message that there is character.

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Shopping cheese in the eternal city of Rome

SHOPPING CHEESE
Shopping cheese just off Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, Rome

Shopping cheese is perhaps not the first thing that springs to mind when visiting the eternal city. Rome is so much more of course. But being me that is certainly part of the experience. There was just one cheese shop that I had blinked out beforehand, and as it is, it was closed when we finally arrived there. It was situated in Trastevere and we went there on a Sunday, just that this particular Sunday happened to be Labour Day. So they were closed. Disappointing of course, since I had read so much about it. Antica Caciara is the name, and as it it I do not know if it is as good as described. You have to find out for yourself. That said, we had a wonderful, huge lunch at a restaurant called la Canonica. Very busy, very noisy and very typical Italian. At that time we had more or less given up shopping cheese in Rome. As it turned out there was an other opportunity, at the restaurant Rimessa Rascioli we learned they took their cheese from Beppe, a cheese shop situated in the Jewish ghetto. We went there on Friday night, but was denied access as we had brought no face masks. Saturday is was closed of course, and Sunday was again Labour day.

According to Mr Micawber, something will turn up

Some optimism in the midst of all the “misery”. Don’t get me wrong, no misery as such, Rome was wonderful. But Monday morning, time to return home and no cheese. On a stroll across the Campo de’ Fiori, though, after all, we stayed just a stone’s throw away, we realised there was sort of a hole in the wall cheese shop just off the marked. Two knowledgable guys. Probably my age if not older, one responsible for the cheese, the other for the charcuterie. Claudio came to my rescue. A very kind cheesemonger helping out with some local cheese. Well the Caciocavallo is not that local, but the others were. And no Pecorino – well they had lots of Pecorino, but I focused on those new to me, plus the Caciocavallo which is hard to get where I live. As it turned out Claudio is quite a famous cheese man. And it seems like he is now just enjoying life with a small shop selling quality cheese (and salami). So it seems, I might be wrong. I wish I had a cheese shop/deli at that location.

shopping cheese
Two happy guys – Claudio the cheesemonger and Yours truly.

Not that many cheeses though, but some real chunks. Ready for tasting and sharing. Apart from Pecorino Romano I am not familiar with the Roman cheese scene, i.e. cheeses from the area around Rome. So I look forward to digging in. The Italian thing is, they’re regional. If you go to France, by and large you’ll get French Cheese. In Italy you’ll get regional cheese, or local cheese if you like. I don’t think this shop had any of the more northern cheeses like Parmigiano, Grana Padano, or Gorgonzola. Quite famous around the world, but they’re “not from here” seems to be the attitude. Be aware of that when you plan cheese shopping in Italy. In the supermarkets, probably another story.

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Mozzarella – a world of spring and summer delights

mozzarella
Burrata di bufala

It’s this time of the year, it’s Mozzarella time. Sun’s shining, late April and the temperature has started to rise. Mother Earth is waking up from the winter hibernation. Flowers are popping up adding colour to this for the moment otherwise rather grey world. It’s a wonderful time. To celebarte this I will recomend an Insalata caprese, and if you don’t know how to make it, here’s a recipe. But Mozzarella cheese is so much more than just this cheese, varying in shape, size and texture, but common to all are soft and tangy flavours.

Mozzarella – the original

Mozzarella is a fresh cheese, pasta filata style, aka pulled curd, originally made with water buffalo’s milk and from the Campania, the area surrounding Naples. This is perhaps one of the most famous cheeses of the world. Today made all over Italy, of cow’s milk though, but only Mozzarella di Bufala Campana holds a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin – DOP in Italian). So that’s the original. Otherwise the cheese can be made anywhere in Italy from buffalo or any style of cow’s milk. As it is, it is made more or less all over the world, but thy are all copies of course.

In all its simplicity – Insalata caprese

Mozzarella Fior di Latte

In Italy this might be the most famous, but not necessarily so in the rest of the world. This is a traditional Mozzarella made with full fat cow’s milk, and only that. As far as I know there is a variety of Fior di latte from the Southern Apennines that is about to get its PDO. Originated in the Southern Apennines which is part of Campania. Some will say the Fior di latte has a more subtle flavour than traditional Mozzarella and with a softer texture. In many instances favoured by restaurants while the traditional consumer stick to the supermarket variants, whatever they list.

Then there is Burrata

What is burrata I was asked the other day. The simple explanation is that it is a Mozzarella filled with stracciatella. So what is stracciatella? That is shredded mozzarella cheese soaked in cream, making a rather liquid mass. So when you cut the burrata the liquid will float over your plate. Very sensual. Serve it the way it is shown in the picture atop. Burrata may, as with traditional mozzarella be made with cow’s milk or buffalo’s milk, but the best (and most expensive) is Burrata di Bufala Campana DOP. Originally from Puglia as a matter of fact and invented during the 1920s, so only a hundred years old that tradition.

Bocconcini – mouthfuls

That’s literally what it means. They are small Mozzarella balls perfect for salads with perhaps San Marzano tomatoes, they’re native to Naples, and real extra Virgin olive oil. Looks much better in a salad than the traditional sliced mozzarella cheese.

Finally the knots – Nodini

The pasta filata means as mentioned pulled or stretched curd. In that way they can be formed any way you like, even though the most common is the round shape. The variant called Nodini is formed as a small knot. There is a variant of this called braided mozzarella. Very decorative, but otherwise traditional mozzarella. Treccia di Mozzarella would be the thing to look for when in Italy, or Mozzarella intrecciata. Now you should be covered.

What about the dried mozzarella?

Mainly for cooking purposes, especially on pizza, though quite a few pizza restaurants prefer the fresh one in brine, at least if they care about their pizzas. All industrial pizzas with mozzarella cheese is made with this dried variant. They may come in cylinders and be sliced onto the pizza or shredded. You’ll find bags of shredded mozzarella in your local grocery a well. Sometimes it comes in handy.

Raw or pasteurised?

Most of the variants are made with pasteurised milk, but it is far from impossible to get hold of raw milk mozzarella or burrata. For the burrata the stracciatella will be pasteurised irrespective of how the milk for the burrata is treated. You just have to look for latte crudo on the label.

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