Bitto DOP cheese is produced in the Alps of Northern Lombardy for over a millennium. In the early 2010s, a battle arose between the staunch traditionalists and those who advocate for the most industrial versions of the DOP product. Until the agreement was signed at the end of 2014. But that may not hold up ...
Can cheese really trigger what has been called a "war?" Yes, if the cheese in question is one of the most famous and prized in Italy, namely Bitto della Valtellina. The conflict began in 1994 and ended in 2014 with a fragile peace treaty, endangered by continuous skirmishes that risk rekindling the conflict.
How it was born
Bitto is produced in the Albaredo and Gerola Valleys, crossed by the Bitto stream, in the province of Sondrio. This, together with the mountain pastures of the Alta Val Brembana, Premana, and Introbio, comprise the "historic core" of Bitto production in the silence of nature among the pastures and pristine peaks.
(via Storico Ribelle fb)
Between June 1 and September 30, the cows head to the valleys’ mountain pastures, which are perched at altitudes between 4,500 and 6,500 feet and outfitted with calècc. These ancient stone houses serve as small dairies where the milk is immediately processed while it’s still warm. Orobica goats join the bovine herd, and 10-20% of their milk is added to the cow's. In the calècc, the cow's milk is immediately mixed with the goat's milk then poured into a culdéra, a copper boiler in the shape of an inverted bell. The cheesemaker mixes the milk until it reaches a temperature of 35-37°C (95-98.6°F). At this point, the boiler is removed from the heat and the calf rennet is added. After about 35 minutes the curd is created, which with special tools is reduced into small pieces the size of a grain of rice. The boiler is put back on the fire and brought to a temperature of 50-52°C (122-125.6°F). The cheese is then extracted, deposited on a wooden mold, subjected to pressure, and then salted. After a few days, the cheese is transported to the casere d'Alpe huts for aging, which must take place at a temperature of 12-16°C (53.6 - 60.8°F) with a high level of humidity. The aging phase must last at least 70 days, while the actual seasoning can take years.
The reasons for the contrast
Producers of Bitto storico (historic bitto), who are supported by Slow Food, follow this procedure, and their Consortium is based in the town of Gerola Alta. Yet discord abounds.
Bitto earned DOP status in 1996. But, under the pressure from some industrial dairies, the production area was extended further north to include the province Sondrio. Also, the DOP specification doesn’t call for processing or the obligation to use goat's milk, and allows the use of selected enzymes and feed for feeding cows. So 12 producers of Bitto storico made some noise, evening planning withdraw from the DOP brand as they think it doesn’t necessarily guarantee the quality on which they pride themselves.
Paolo Ciapparelli, founder of the Consortium for the protection of the Bitto Storico cheese (va fb)
Yet on November 14, 2014, when the two contenders signed an agreement in Gerola that establishes the existence of two products, an "industrial" and a "heroic" Bitto. The latter remains uncompromisingly respectful to the utmost of pasture and traditions, according to the Consorzio del Bitto Storico. The two brands within a single "Bitto system" encompass different procedures and quality levels. To take it even further, on September 1, 2016, the name storico ribelel (historic rebel) was registered to differentiate the bitto storico from its industrial counterparts.
Record auctions
Bitto storico, which after 5-10 years of refinement becomes, as defined by Slow Food, "one of the very few meditation cheeses in the world." It’s produced in very small quantities — no more than three thousand wheels per year, so it’s often sold at dizzying prices. In 2018, a wheel of Bitto storico produced in the year 2000 was quartered and sold at auction in 12,000 € in total.
Main cover by Mauro Turchetti (Storico Ribelle fb official page)