In Bra, from 15 to 18 September, the eleventh edition of Cheese is held — the Slow Food event dedicated to cheeses and everything that surrounds them.
An opportunity to taste cheeses from around the world, but also to learn to distinguish their unique qualities and characteristics, reflect on the production chain and understand alongside Slow Food what makes a cheese "good, clean and fair".
Cheese, le forme del latte is a celebration for everyone and since 1997 it has taken over the streets of the Piedmontese town of Bra, in the province of Cuneo, every two years. At the most recent edition, in 2015, more than 270,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors from 23 nations took part. The 2017 edition, which marks the 20th anniversary of this delicious event, is held from 15 to 18 September and sees LifeGate as its environmental partner.
This year's focus is on raw-milk cheeses, following a path begun many years ago, with Slow Food's commitment to standing in defence of this type of product, which remains subject to bans in many places. Indeed, many countries have prohibited the production of raw-milk cheeses on public health grounds and require that milk be pasteurised or cheese aged.
"The truth is that the possibility of producing raw-milk cheeses anywhere in the world is far from guaranteed," says Piero Sardo, scientific director of Cheese. "Thanks to the battle we have waged through Cheese and to the determination of the French, raw-milk cheeses are now an established reality that European institutions no longer call into question." But in the rest of the world these excellent products are permitted only with an ageing period of more than 60 days, or are subject to other restrictions.
To make a strong statement in this direction, the event opens with the États Généraux of raw milk, and in the Cheese market only cheeses made from non-pasteurised milk can be found. The difficulties for producers in continuing to make raw-milk cheese while complying with hygiene and safety regulations are considerable, and the commitment of these cheesemakers is recognised by Slow Food with the cheesemaking resistance award, which will be presented at the conference itself. Cheese is also an opportunity for these producers to meet and build networks, learning from one another.
The battle for raw milk reflects, in an exemplary way, the values that are close to Slow Food's heart: the defence of biodiversity and of small-scale traditional production, and the freedom of every individual to eat what they prefer.
This connects to a reflection that might seem marginal to those outside the industry: the question of cultures. Whereas raw cheesemaking keeps natural cultures alive — responsible for the extraordinary characteristics that bind a cheese to its territory — to manage large-scale production industrial producers use selected cultures that tend to flatten and homogenise the flavour of cheese and reduce biodiversity. In supporting one method over the other, the consumer therefore also chooses the production model they wish to promote. An event like Cheese sets itself the goal of fostering an aware and informed consumer.
It is also an opportunity to discuss nitrites and nitrates, additives that are frequently added to meat and cured meats to preserve them and improve their appearance and texture. At Cheese there is also the Spazio Libero, dedicated precisely to products free of these additives — from spontaneously fermented Lambic beer to sourdough bread and pizza, from nitrate- and nitrite-free cured meats to raw-milk cheeses free from industrial cultures.
It is a place where you travel the world through flavours and meet cheesemakers and producers from every corner of the globe. This year, particular attention is paid to the United States, a country where regulations require that raw-milk cheeses must be aged for at least 60 days. Since 2001, a movement of quality- and terroir-conscious cheesemakers has existed across the Atlantic; in 2007 it produced a rigorous set of specifications that today covers 31 raw-milk cheeses. That same year, Slow Food created the Presidium of American raw-milk cheeses.
The educational and scientific dimension of Cheese takes shape in a series of conferences addressing topics central to Slow Food's work: from biodiversity to the protection of small-scale production, from concern over the concentration of the market in the hands of a few large producers, to animal welfare and attention to animal feed.
The results of a study on the impact of the dairy supply chain on climate change will be presented, as will those of an online consultation carried out by Slow Food to gather the opinions, concerns and suggestions of farmers and small producers on the European policies that affect them, with particular attention to hygiene regulations.
At Cheese, visitors will be able to find, alongside cheeses, quality products belonging to the so-called presìdi — the Slow Food projects created to protect traditional techniques, native breeds, artisan products and rural landscapes. There will be a discussion session on the defence of the Apennines and their inhabitants. As the very experience of the presìdi shows, saving a product also means saving its territory of origin and the community that produces it. In this spirit, Cheese will donate a portion of its proceeds to producers affected by the Central Italy earthquake.
For industry professionals, this year Cheese has created a dedicated space to facilitate meetings between international buyers, agents from small and large distribution networks, as well as cheesemongers, restaurateurs, startups and small and medium-sized Italian and international producers.
But Cheese is for everyone, and a programme has been devised for children and young people too, to present and celebrate the crafts of farming through talks, games and hands-on workshops.
To round off the day, visitors will be able to sit down at the table of acclaimed chefs such as Giuseppe Rambaldi, Sergi De Meià and Régis Marcon, and continue the evening with the film screenings of Cheese on the Screen, in collaboration with Cinemambiente, or with live music. There will be no shortage of things to do.