Vacche Rosse - Aged Italian Cheese, Over 30 Months

Hard aged Italian cheese from the Antica Corte delle Vacche Rosse in Bibbiano, near Reggio Emilia. The Vacche Rosse — the Reggiana red cattle, an ancient native breed brought to Italy by the Lombards — were once on the brink of extinction; this family caseificio has worked since the 1930s to recover and restore them, and the cheese carries the brand registered in 1991. Aged over 30 months: structured, fully developed, sitting at the sweet spot of the range.

The cheese is made simply: milk from the farm's own Reggiana cattle, salt, and rennet. No lysozyme, no preservatives, no additives. The process uses less rennet and more whey starter than the regional standard, producing a paste that is softer and sweeter than the cheeses it might be compared with. The "Vacche Rosse" brand is fire-marked directly onto each wheel.

Best at room temperature to let the flavour open up. Excellent on a cheese board, in thin flakes with aged balsamic vinegar, or grated over fresh pasta. The rind is not edible. Keep refrigerated between +2°C and +4°C; once cut, wrap and refrigerate.