Monte Veronese DOP: cheese of the Venetian tradition

Monte Veronese DOP: the cheese most loved for its versatility in the kitchen and beyond! Monte Veronese DOP is a cheese with protected designation of origin: the area for milk collection, production, and aging of the cheese is located in the northern part of the province of Verona, a beautiful predominantly mountainous area with rich pastures where livestock naturally feed. The production territory is that of Lessinia, Monte Baldo, and the pre-Alpine hilly area of Verona.

Monte Veronese DOP, a cheese with a long Venetian tradition

The production of Monte Veronese cheese DOP has ancient origins: it dates back to before the year 1000, when the wheels were used as a valuable medium of exchange, replacing money. The name of the cheese refers to the term "monta", from the Veronese dialect, which translates to "milking".

Today, Monte Veronese DOP is produced in two variants: the Monte Veronese DOP whole milk and the Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo. Both cheeses are made with cow's milk but are distinguished by their processing methods, as well as their flavor. The whole wheels have the following dimensions: diameter from 25 to 35 cm, weight from 6 to 10 kg, height from 6 to 11 cm.

Monte Veronese DOP cheese: the types

As mentioned, there are two types of Monte Veronese DOP cheese: Monte Veronese DOP whole milk and Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo.

The Monte Veronese DOP whole milk, as the term itself indicates, is produced with whole cow's milk from one or two consecutive milkings. It is a fresh cheese, consumable just 25 days after production, and to fully appreciate its characteristics, it is advisable to consume it within 60 days of production. The rind is straw-colored, the paste is white, soft, and elastic, with holes more or less diffused. Being fresh, the aroma recalls yogurt, pleasant and almost buttery, with a slight memory of mountain meadows. The taste is delicate, like that of fresh milk, with a sweet flavor and a slight tanginess reminiscent of yogurt. The texture is soft, melting almost in the mouth!

The Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo is made with partially skimmed cow's milk, taken from two consecutive milkings. The wheels are ready for consumption at various aging levels: three months, twelve months, twenty-four months, and more.
It is worth noting that there is the Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo of Slow Food Presidium: this is a Monte Veronese DOP cheese produced exclusively with mountain milk, milked from cows that graze in alpine pastures between May and September.
The Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo has a rind and paste that are straw-colored, more or less intense depending on the production period and aging, as well as the paste, which will be a more or less deep yellow. The holes are sparse or absent. The paste is firm; it will be more elastic if the cheese is young, becoming hard and slightly grainy when the wheels undergo longer aging. The aroma is that of mature butter, with hints of hay and aromatic herbs. The taste is strong, savory, tending towards spiciness as aging increases.

The Slow Food Presidium of Monte Veronese DOP

Lessinia - the foothill area of Veneto - has developed a long dairy tradition, thanks to its favorable geographical position, the almost total absence of steep slopes, and the presence of grasslands with a long growing season. Here, high-quality cow's milk production has favored the alpine dairy activity, now a Slow Food Presidium, with a significant aptitude for prolonged aging, that of Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo.

From the Slow Food Presidium comes a Monte Veronese DOP cheese particularly suitable for consumption at the end of a meal or for appetizing appetizers, enjoyed alone or as a starter on a cutting board, thanks to its strong, intense flavor and rich alpine aromas.
The production of the Monte Veronese DOP of the Slow Food Presidium is closely related to the herds' stay in the mountains, therefore it occurs exclusively between May and September. The minimum aging is three months.

The Slow Food Presidium is a production that has only recently been valued, even though there are more than a hundred mountain pastures on the Lessini mountains; until recently, these pastures worked mostly as vacation farms or as grazing grounds for beef cattle. Now, thanks to the activity of the Consortium for the protection of Monte Veronese DOP, the Presidium has brought together dairies and pastures available to produce Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo with mountain milk, which stands out thanks to the “M” mark, as a mountain pasture, branded on the side alongside the DOP marking.

The goal of the Presidium is to increase the number of pastures in the Lessini mountains and on Baldo, to provide a high-quality product with unique characteristics, and to keep alive a centuries-old tradition of these areas.

Monte Veronese DOP, recipes and tips

The Monte Veronese DOP is a versatile cheese and can be consumed as an appetizer, starter on a cutting board, as a delicious end-of-meal option thanks to its rich alpine flavor, or it can be used in the kitchen to create tasty recipes; Monte Veronese DOP whole milk is ideal for creating very fresh salads, or cubed on pizza, while d'Allevo can enhance first courses, grated, or paired with hearty meats. But there is much more! The Venetian culinary tradition offers two typical risottos, renowned and recommended by all restaurants serving typical dishes of the area: risotto with Amarone and Monte Veronese DOP, and radicchio and Monte Veronese DOP risotto. Here’s how to prepare them!

The risotto with Amarone and Monte Veronese DOP is a first course made with ingredients from the Verona area, such as Vialone Nano IGP rice and Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, a red wine with a bold yet velvety flavor. To prepare it as tradition dictates, you will need Vialone Nano rice, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, grated Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo, shallots, meat broth, beef marrow, butter, and salt. To prepare the dish, toast the rice in a pan with chopped shallots, butter, and beef marrow, deglazing with Amarone. Then, cream by adding broth one ladle at a time, and when the rice is al dente, turn off the heat and finish by creaming with butter and grated Monte Veronese DOP. Buon appetito!

The radicchio and Monte Veronese DOP risotto is very popular in typical Veronese cuisine; again, the basic ingredients are locally produced, such as the excellent red radicchio of Verona, with crispy leaves and a slightly bitter flavor, Vialone Nano IGP rice, and of course the young Monte Veronese DOP. To prepare it, also procure onion, vegetable broth, oil, salt, and pepper. The radicchio should be cut into thin strips and placed in a saucepan with the onion softened in oil. Cook over high heat for five minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice and toast for a few minutes, and then begin to cream with the broth, adding a ladle at a time. Once cooked, add cubed Monte Veronese DOP, and finish creaming with the heat off. The result will surprise you!

Spaghetti & Mandolino recommends Monte Veronese DOP whole milk and Monte Veronese DOP d'Allevo, in various formats and aging, as well as the Slow Food Presidium. Whether you enjoy it alone or to create typical Venetian risottos, Monte Veronese DOP will always bring to the table all the flavor of the Venetian tradition!

Antonella Iannò