Salva Cremasco

Salva Cremasco is a soft, raw whole cows' milk table cheese of parallelepiped form, produced in a defined zone of the Po Valley in Lombardy. Its rind is periodically washed during a minimum maturing period of 75 days, and the paste ranges from white to straw yellow depending on maturity. Fat in dry matter must reach a minimum of 48 % and dry extract a minimum of 53 %.

About this designation

Salva Cremasco is registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0639, with EU protection dating from 30 July 2007 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013950). The designation covers a soft table cheese made exclusively from raw, whole cows' milk drawn from Frisona Italiana and Bruna Alpina cattle reared within the production area. The geographical area spans parts of the provinces of Cremona, Bergamo, Brescia, Lecco, Lodi, and Milano. The cheese is cast in a quadrangular parallelepiped shape: flat sides measure between 11 cm and 13 cm or between 17 cm and 19 cm, the straight heel between 9 cm and 15 cm, and weight falls between 1,3 kg and 1,9 kg or between 3 kg and 5 kg, with a permitted tolerance not exceeding ± 10 %. The minimum maturing period is 75 days, during which the rind is periodically washed; producers sponge and brush each cheese using water and salt or food oil, marc, and herbs. At least 50 % of the cows' diet must be composed of feedingstuffs grown on the holding or within the production area, and at least 60 % of the dry matter in the daily fodder ration must originate from that same defined area. Chemical requirements at release for consumption are: fat in dry matter minimum 48 %, dry extract minimum 53 %, and furosine content maximum 14 mg per 100 g protein. The applicant body is the Consorzio tutela Salva Cremasco.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 30 July 2007 under file number PDO-IT-0639 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013950).
• The specification permits only two cattle breeds as milk sources: Frisona Italiana and Bruna Alpina.
• The minimum maturing period is 75 days, during which each cheese's rind is individually sponged and brushed.
• At least 60 % of the dry matter in the cows' daily fodder ration must come from within the defined geographical area.

Tasting notes

Lombard cow's milk cheese from Cremasco area, square cuboid shape, aged 75+ days. Pale ivory paste, smooth dense texture (denser than Quartirolo), savory-buttery flavor with light tang; traditional pairing with hot chili-pickled vegetables (Tighe).

HoReCa use

Sliced on Lombard cheese boards; melted in panini.

Packaging

• wheel-full-1.3-5kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-1.5kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g