Agri of Valtorta

Agrì is a small, fresh and pleasantly acidic cow’s milk cheese.
Today in the valley of Valtorta there are still 12 small farmers-each of whom owns 10, 12 cows-who deliver raw milk to the small village cooperative, the only production workshop.
On the first day of processing, the milk is coagulated with little agar (the previous day’s whey) and little rennet and allowed to rest.
On the second day the curd is placed in linen cloths, which are left hanging to allow the whey to drain off.
On the third day you put it in fascere for 24 hours and finally knead it with salt and form it into small cylinders.
So much work when you consider that you then have to wait at least 8 days for ripening

There are many proposals: cannelloni filling, lasagna topping, white meat or fish sauce or savory pies: it is to be enjoyed initially “naked and raw”!
In the mouth to the initial sweetness you will feel acidity and savoriness follow.
The aroma of Agrì, initially lactic acidic-curd, evolves into hints of melted butter, grass, hay, and if aged has notes of mushroom, toasted and dried fruit-hazelnuts.
It has little sticky texture and good solubility with medium olfactory taste persistence.

The story of agrì begins in Valtorta, a small town in the Brembana Valley: when connections to the valley floor were anything but smooth, women would knead what was called “agro pasta” because it was slightly acidic and carry it on foot along the mountain paths inside panniers and bundles.
They traveled quite a distance, reaching as far as the nearby Valsassina in Barzio (via Ceresola and the Piani di Bobbio), where they sold the dough to cheese merchants who used it to make cheeses, very similar to those you find today.
It is called the “cheese of the women of Valtorta.”
Do you know why?
It used to be made only by women, probably because of the long processing it requires (three days).