Dolceterra Cheese Collection 04 (Valle d'Aosta)

Discover a Special Dolceterra Cheese Collection 04 (Box Traditional Castelmagno Cheese Alpine Pasture, Fontina Cheese Alpine Pasture and Strawberry Mostarda Sauce)

Composition Box:
Castelmagno Cheese Alpine Pasture;
Fontina Cheese Alpine Pasture;
Strawberry Mostarda Sauce.

Castelmagno Cheese - probably the best cheese in the world...
My husband is from Cuneo, in Piemonte, and ever since meeting him I have been introduced to all sorts of Piedmont delicacies I was not familiar with. Castelmagno is one of those- a hard cheese that is shaped in a cylinder, it looks like a small Parmigiano, and it shares Parmigiano‘s scaly texture and umami-strong flavor. Tradition has it the cheese is named after San Magno, a Roman soldier who was killed on the Cuneo mountains and became a martyr.

Fontina Alpine pastures, one of Italy’s best-loved cheeses, Fontina tastes mild, rich, and almost nutty, and can be either hard (if mature) or soft and perfect for melting (if younger). It’s originally from the Valle d’Aosta, where it was first created back in the 13th century and whose version is protected by DOP status; other versions are now made in Denmark, France, Sweden, and even the U.S. (To make sure what you’re eating is “true” Italian fontina, make sure the cheese has consortium stamp of the Matterhorn with the script “Fontina”).

One of the things I love most about my job is the joy of discovering amazing cheeses, little-known wines and delightful new foods. The world of food and drink has so much to offer and when I’m lucky enough to find something wonderful, I get to share it with you. Several years ago in Mantua, in the region of Emilia Romagna in northernmost Italy, I happened upon mostarda. Although the name may evoke mustard, this spicy-sweet condiment is far from the mustards we know. Mostarda is made very simply, from candied local fruits preserved in sugar and a touch of mustard seed or mustard oil to give it a zippy punch.