From English Cheddar to the cheeses of the alpine pastures of Germany, from Portuguese Queijo Terrincho to the celebrated Roquefort d’Aveyron (not to mention Asturian Cabrales and the rich organic butter of Bretagne), UNISG students are preparing for the eighth edition of Cheese with 15 study trips to 5 European countries, all focused on the local dairy delights.
Divided into small groups, the students have a variety of different academic objectives. Those in the U.K. (in Sussex, Kent, and Bristol) are learning about Stilton, Duddleswell, and Stichelton—a blue cheese made with non-pasteurized milk—as well as the creamier, smoother Penyston and Baywell. Scottish cheese is also to be sampled, in particular Lanark Blue, a non-pasteurized sheep-milk cheese, as well as Dunsyre Blue, and Mull Island Cheddar.
“It has been a wonderful experience,” says German student Dorte Bode-Kirchhoff. “As well as the large-scale industrial products, we tried some more artisanal cheeses, including Single Gloucester, made with raw cow milk from the animal of the same name, a native race that is almost extinct.”
Two groups are traveling in France, a country for which cheese production is a key pillar of gastronomy. Banon, Laguiole, and Roquefort are some of the well-known products the students are encountering among the artisans of the Midi. In Bretagne, they are to sample organic products made from cow, sheep, and goat milk, learning the secrets of Breton butter, and making a visit to producers of the Bretonne Pie Noir Cow, a Slow Food presidium. As Federica Bolla, from Italy, explains: “Bretagne is a region that has shown us many surprises and where we have had the chance to taste many unique products like their fantastic butter, made with Froment de Léon cow milk.” Federica’s colleague, Katharina Stöckel from Germany, adds, “Only 64 of the animals still exist.”
In Lindenberg in Bavaria, the group has taken part in the tenth edition of the International Festival of Cheese, an event that features the principal cheese makers of the region. “What a stupendous experience,” says Spaniard Carmen Ordiz. “I didn’t realize that Germany placed so much attention on the dairy sector. This study trip showed me so much about the great variety and quality of German cheeses. Many of the producers we visited were run by really passionate young people who want to continue and protect the traditional techniques of their craft.”
Those students who have gone to Porto and the Douro valley of Portugal have the opportunity to meet with sheep farmers raising the Churra da Terra Quente breed, whose milk is used for Queijo Terrincho, a semi-firm cheese with a delicate taste. “In addition to discovering the processes used in making this traditional Portuguese product,” observes Italian student Andrea Riboni, “it was important to understand the symbiosis that arises between humans and animals. The producers we visited, in addition to greeting us warmly, explained what their life is like, tied to the territory and the products of their land.”
Finally, in Asturias in Spain, the students have analyzed two traditional products: Peral, made with cow milk, and the famous Cabrales, a blue-veined cheese made with cow, sheep, and goat milk.
For these future gastronomes, the study trips provide an opportunity for multidisciplinary learning about gastronomy and the realities of food production both in Italy and abroad. The students have come face to face with producers, chefs, and professionals, learning and talking with them in their own working contexts. During these visits, students also record what they experience on video, documenting food techniques and know-how from the people and regions they discover. The overall goal is to contribute to the Granai della Memoria research project (the “Barns of Memory”), a knowledge bank of farmer and artisan wisdom from around the world.
The University of Gastronomic Sciences will be on hand at Cheese from September 16 to 19, 2011, with an informational stand in Piazza XX Settembre, open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm.
For more information, contact:
Alessandra Abbona or Elena Baravalle
UNISG Communications Office
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9
12042 Pollenzo – Bra (CN), Italia
tel +39 0172 458 505 / 507
fax +39 0172 458 550
comunicazione@unisg.it
old.unisg.oiss.io