A Double Curd and a Dash of Legend
The history of Strachítunt has its roots in the Middle Ages, among the narrow valleys and mule tracks of the Taleggio Valley.
It is said that it all began by mistake, or perhaps by peasant ingenuity.
Strachítunt: The Art of Mixing the Old and the New
One day, they say, a shepherd returned from the transhumance too late to process the freshly milked milk.
So, he combined the previous day’s curd with that of the same day.
The result? A strange cheese, with blue veins and an intense aroma.
Thus was born Strachítunt, the “round cheese of stracchi,” a dairy gem that risked disappearing, but today continues to tell its story with every slice.
A full-fat cheese made from whole raw cow’s milk, matured for a medium-long period, it may have blue veins. The product initially ripens centripetally. Subsequently, it is aided by perforation, which allows the microflora present in the environment to develop within the cheese. The minimum maturation period is 75 days. It is defined as a “double-curd cheese” because two distinct coagulations are required on different days.
It was created to avoid wasting the scraps from the stracchino cheesemaking process: when the curd was too small to make a whole wheel, it was left hanging in a cloth, waiting for the next curd. A five-layer wheel was then assembled, alternating parts of the fresh curd (still warm) with parts of the previous day’s (cold) and expertly crumbled curd. The wheel was placed in round molds to maintain a “two-curd” production, distinct and recognizable from the single-curd square stracchino cheeses.
Il nome Strachitunt non è altro che la forma dialettale di “Stracchino rotondo”. La sua produzione particolare, che implica un notevole lavoro ed un’enorme attenzione, non si è persa grazie alla tenacia ed alla volontà di alcuni imprenditori che hanno voluto mantenere vive le più antiche tradizioni della terra bergamasca. Oggi lo Strachitunt è balzato prepotentemente agli onori della cronaca ed è sempre più apprezzato dai buongustai per il suo caratteristico sapore e gusto: da esperti del settore è stato definito “figlio del Taleggio e papà del Gorgonzola”.
FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
To best pair Strachitunt, choose a structured, dry white wine, such as a wood-aged Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, to balance the creaminess of the cheese. Alternatively, a smooth, moderately alcoholic red wine, such as Dolcetto or Bardolino, can counteract the strong flavor of the mold.
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