Bitto DOP, the historic alpine cheese of Valtellina.

There is a cheese in Valtellina - we are in the north of Lombardy, also the homeland of pizzoccheri - of great quality, with a beautiful aromatic complexity that gathers ancient local traditions. We are talking about Bitto DOP, historic Lombard alpine cheese whose origins can be traced back to the Celtic populations that settled in Valtellina after being forced to flee from the Romans.

The Bitto DOP is made exclusively from mountain milk produced in the province of Sondrio and in some neighboring municipalities of the Alta Valle Brembana (Averara, Cusio, Carona, Mezzoldo, Foppolo, Piazzatorre, Valleve, and Santa Brigida) and the province of Lecco (Premana and Introbio). The name “Bitto” comes from the Celtic “bitu”, which means “perennial”. This refers to the fact that Bitto DOP can be preserved for a very long time and, therefore, can also age a lot. If we consider that Bitto DOP has survived since the times of ancient Rome to the present day, this “perennial” is almost a given!

This cheese, the prince of Valtellina, is produced during the summer mounting period of the pastures, which starts on June 1 and ends on September 30. Only whole cow's milk obtained from traditional breeds of the area is used, with a small percentage of goat's milk added, not exceeding 10%. The Bitto DOP presents itself in a cylindrical and regular shape with a flat surface and a concave edge with sharp corners. Maturation begins in the alpine dairies and continues in the valley warehouses for at least 70 days. It is one of the rarest cheeses in the world that can age for over ten years.

An exquisite cheese that evokes ancient sensations, for this reason, we can define it as for meditation. Its texture is crumbly and highly soluble. A strong flavor that leaves hints of dried fruit, hazelnut, walnut, butter, hay, and dried flowers.

Bitto DOP is excellent when paired with structured red wines, or sweet white wines. It is superb when accompanied by delicate honeys, such as strawberry tree honey. We also recommend it for typical preparations like the pizzoccheri of Valtellina. Savory and aromatic, it lends itself very well to preparing wholemeal polentas, such as the typical taragna polenta of these lands.

This mythical alpine cheese can boast the DOP and the protection by Slow Food, which has named it Bitto DOP Storico, and has been celebrated for over a hundred years during the traditional “Mostra del Bitto DOP” held in Morbegno, in the province of Sondrio, in mid-October.

Fabio De Vecchi

S&M