Puzzone di Moena Cheese

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#239 of 377 cheese types

Puzzone di Moena, also known as Spretz Tzaorì, is a semi-soft cheese from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. Known for its strong aroma ("puzzone" means "stinky" in Italian), this cheese has a moist, sticky rind and a rich, creamy interior with a distinctly sharp and savory flavor that intensifies with age.

What is Puzzone di Moena Cheese?

Puzzone di Moena, also known as Spretz Tzaorì, is a semihard and semicooked cheese. It is produced in the Fassa, Fiemme, and Primiero valleys of Trento province and in the municipalities of Anterivo and Trodena in Bolzano province, Italy. The cheese received PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status in 2014.

History

The term "Puzzone di Moena," which means "big stink of Moena," was first used during a radio broadcast in 1974. It referred to a smeared-rind cheese produced by the Moena cheesemaking company. The alternate name, Spretz Tzaorì, means "flavorful cheese" in Latin. The cheese has a strong taste described as salty or spicy and slightly bitter, with a high, penetrating, and slightly ammonia odor. These aromatic characteristics were appreciated by poor mountain people as they enhanced the flavor of simple dishes like potato and cornmeal mush.

Characteristics

Puzzone di Moena is cylindrical with straight or slightly convex sides. The rind can be smooth or rough, oily, and ocher to tan-reddish in color. The cheese is 4–5 inches (9–12 cm) high, 13–17 inches (34–42 cm) in diameter, and weighs 20–29 pounds (9–13 kg). The interior paste is white to yellow, soft, elastic, with small eyes. The fat content is at least 45 percent.

Production

The cheese is made with raw cow’s milk from herds fed with at least 60 percent local forage. The milk from two milkings can be partially skimmed and then coagulated using bovine rennet. The curd is semi-cooked at 111–118°F (44–48°C) for fifteen to thirty minutes. During the first two to three weeks of ripening, a solution of lukewarm water and salt is smeared on the rind twice a week. This decreases to once a week until the end of the ripening period, which lasts a minimum of ninety days.

Flavor and Aroma

Puzzone di Moena is known for its intense and penetrating aroma with a hint of ammonia. The flavor is salty and sharp, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The cheese has a medium-hard, elastic texture, white to light yellow in color, with a few small to medium-sized holes. When made from mountain pasture milk, the cheese has larger holes and a more intense yellow color.

Production Area

Puzzone di Moena is produced in the Fiemme valley, Fassa valley, and Primiero-Vanoi. The meadows and pastures in this area, rich in specific fodder, play a crucial role in giving the cheese its unique flavor and aroma. The milk used comes from breeds such as Bruna, Frisona, Pezzata Rossa, Grigio Alpina, Rendena, and Pinzgau.

Production Method

The production method involves washing the cheeses in tepid water, sometimes with salt, creating an unctuous patina on the rind. This promotes specific biochemical activity within the cheese, resulting in its special taste and aroma. The cheese is ripened for at least 90 days, during which it is washed by hand once a week with a cloth soaked in warm water, sometimes with salt.

Key Facts About Puzzone di Moena Cheese

Country of Origin Italy
Specific Origin Fassa, Fiemme, Primiero valleys, Anterivo, Trodena
Certification PDO (2014)
Milk Type Raw cow’s milk
Milk Treatment Partially skimmed
Fat Content At least 45 percent
Rind Smooth or rough, oily, ocher to tan-reddish
Texture Soft, elastic
Flavor Salty or spicy and slightly bitter
Aroma High, penetrating, slightly ammonia
Colors White to yellow
Forms Cylindrical, 4–5 inches high, 13–17 inches diameter, 20–29 pounds
Age Minimum of 90 days
Rennet Type Bovine rennet