Fresh Elva's toma
It is a matured cheese made from whole cow's milk, with raw and pressed paste; it has a thin rind ranging from light yellow to reddish brown in colour that becomes more rigid with ageing and a paste of straw yellow colour. It is often produced with milk from multiple milkings. The milk is then pasteurised at 72° C, when the vat is full it is heated to 30-35° C and then the rennet is added. Coagulation lasts about an hour and then the curd is broken first into walnut-sized pieces, then after about thirty minutes into rice grains. The curd is then placed in moulds. The day after processing, the cheeses are placed in brine for about 24 hours and then left to mature on wooden boards in cold storage.
Curiosity: Toma di Elva is also known as Caso di Elva, Casale di Elva or Toumo de Caso, a name of Occitan origin meaning “homemade toma”, since its preparation has always been artisanal and, especially in past years, this cheese was regularly consumed by families from Elva and the Maira Valley in general.
Data sheet
- Production italian region
- Piemonte
- Type of milk
- Cow milk
- Certification type
- P.A.T. - traditional Italian agri-food products
- Milk processing
- Pasteurized milk
You might also like