Valtellina Casera

Valtellina Casera is a PDO cheese made from partly skimmed cows' milk drawn from traditional cow breeds of the province of Sondrio. It is cylindrical with a smooth surface and a straight outer rind; the paste is straw-yellow, deepening in colour with age. Ripening lasts a minimum of 70 days, after which an additional ageing period may follow.

About this designation

Valtellina Casera holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-IT-1503 and granted EU protection on 2 July 1996, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013383. The protected name as registered is Valtellina Casera. The geographical area is defined as the entire province of Sondrio. The specification requires that the cheese be produced from partly skimmed cows' milk originating from traditional cow breeds of the area. After coagulation with calf rennet, the process relies on the spontaneous development of cheese microflora; the curd is heated and broken into lumps approximately the size of a kernel of maize, then placed in traditional cheese moulds and lightly pressed in stages. Following salting, the cheese is ripened for a minimum of 70 days; an additional ageing period may follow. The finished cheese is even and cylindrical with a smooth surface and a straight outer rind. The outer colour is straw-yellow, becoming more intense with ageing. The product is marketed with a distinguishing mark consisting of the designation of origin and its accompanying logo. The applicant group named in the registration is the Consorzio per la tutela dei formaggi Valtellina Casera e Bitto. Control is exercised by the Ministero delle Risorse Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali, which may engage a producers' consortium in accordance with the applicable Community regulation.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 2 July 1996 under file number PDO-IT-1503, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013383.
• The geographical area is defined as the entire province of Sondrio; no milk from outside this area may be used.
• Ripening must last a minimum of 70 days, after which a further ageing period is permitted.
• Coagulation uses calf rennet and relies on the spontaneous development of cheese microflora, with the curd broken to roughly the size of a kernel of maize.

Tasting notes

Lombard cow's milk semi-skim cheese from Valtellina, aged 70+ days. Straw-yellow paste with small irregular eyes, firm yielding texture, mild milky-sweet flavor with grassy alpine notes; less intense than full-fat Bitto.

HoReCa use

Valtellina Casera is used as an ingredient in Pizzoccheri della Valtellina and Sciatt, sliced on Valtellinese cheese boards, melted into polenta, and paired with Bresaola della Valtellina.

Packaging

• wheel-full-7-12kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-3-5kg
• wedge-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-250g