Bra duro DOP
~200 g
¥ 1,575 ¥ 1,701 incl. tax
Its name comes from a town called Bra in Cuneo. Merchants carried cheese on horse carriages from vallyes to sell in Liguria. In the past, instead of pecorino from Sardinia or Rome, which was expensive due to the distance from Liguria, the "genovese" sauce was made with Bra cheese. There are two variations depending on the number of days of aging: "tenero (soft)" and "duro (hard)" Bra Tenero is aged for a minimum of 45 days and Bra Duro is aged for a minimum of 180 days. It is made with cow milk to which the goat or sheep milk can be added to a amaximum of 10%. Bra Duro has harder texture and richer flavor than "tenero" with a slightly spicy flavor. It goes perfectly with truffles and is also excellent for oven-baked dishes or grating on pasta.
Average nutritional values per 100 g
Kcal: | 402 Kcal |
Protein: | 22 g |
Fat: | 35 g |
Carbohydrates: | 0.8 g |
Salt: | 3 g |
There are many varieties of dairy cows inhabiting each region, and the difference in milk yield and ingredients between breeds gives each cow’s cheese its individuality. In order to have a cheese approved as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese, it must be made with a specific breed of cow.
Cheeses are classified into soft, semi-hard, and hard cheeses depending on their water content. The hard type of cheese is drained of all its water content, making it a great candidate for long term maturing. The longer it is matured, the richer it becomes in flavor. Typically hard cheeses come in larger form, and usually they are made in mountainous areas.
In this mountainous region, traditionally long-term aged cheese and mountain cheese mixed with cow, sheep and goat milk are eaten. There are also cheeses flavored with truffles (a specialty of Piedmont) as well as herbs and flowers from the mountains. As the king of wine Barolo is also produced in this area, a rarity such as the Piemontese Castelmagno goes well with heavy red wine.