Castelmagno, An Ancient Piedmont Cheese
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.
Castelmagno has been made in the mountains around Cuneo since the twelfth century. Today, its production is regulated through the DOP certification- a European Union legislation aimed to protect the traditional production of certain typical products. The DOP area of Castelmagno is restricted to Cuneo and a few of the nearby towns and villages, making its production quite exclusive and scarce. Only a few cheeses are made every year and let season in humid condition. This creates a rusty-colored mold on the rind, and sometimes for cheeses seasoned for longer than six to eight months the blue veins of mold appear in the white cheese paste, making it more similar to gorgonzola.
Castelmagno is great enjoyed by itself, but as an accompaniment to pasta dishes, it is unbeatable. Gnocchi al Castelmagno are a transcendental experience nobody should ever miss in their lifetime and several recipes call for Castelmagno to be used in risotto and fonduta. You can always enjoy Castelmagno in the Bay Area at Perbacco, where it is a permanent feature in the cheese menu, and it is occasionally featured with gnocchi (oh, delight!). Sometimes you’ll find Castelmagno also on the menu at Farina- not surprisingly, two restaurants that specialize in the regional cuisine of North-West Italy!
Filed under: Traditional Foods
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Where can I purchase Castelmagno cheese in the UK? Preferably the south or the London area. Janet Clerc
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