#7 Legendary cheese maker-Cheese Festival at Bra
First year of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Master’s Program in 2005
“Coming down from the mountains, life on earth is stressful,” That man chuckled to himself as he rang the bells hanging from the stall. That bell is a type of that the cows and sheep wear on the mountain. His name is Gregorio Rotolo. He is a sheep breeder as well as a producer of pecorino cheese in Abruzzo. Cutting the cheese for us to taste, he suddenly pulled on the string attached to the bell and made a loud noise. He told us that ringing the bells would relieve some of his stress. Gregorio had dark eyebrows with wild and natural beard, and glazed over eyes that didn’t even smile. The woolen hat on his head is mismatched, but strangely fits him well. His appearance was so realistic that it was as if he had been chasing sheep in the mountains just a few moments before.
From September 16 to 19 in 2005, the small town Bra near Turin was decorated with cheeses from around the world. This biennial cheese festival was organized by the Slow Food Association to provide a forum for the appreciation of cheese made from raw milk, the production of which has dramatically declined, and above all, the uniqueness of cheese. The event has become an important tourist attraction for the small town . A short trip from Bra also takes visitors to Barolo, one of Italy’s leading wine-producing regions, and Alba, famous for its truffles.
On the project named “DINNER,” where some restaurants and osterias (diners with a more casual atmosphere and service than a restaurant) in Alba and Barolo serve dinner, and for one day only during the event, special menus are prepared, such as specializing in ingredients from the region. The wines to be served are Piedmont’s wines as well as ones from other Italian regions. These wines are sponsoring this event, providing an attractive venue for the sponsors to demonstrate their products. The cheese festival is not only about cheese, but also about enjoying the scenery of the Langhe region, including Bra, and tasting unique local products and wines from all over Italy while participating in this event. The main cast is Cheese but other elements connect each other so that the participants could enjoy as they like it. Especially the venue is not an exhibition hall, but an entire city. That is very unique.
One of plannings that I’m interested in is the “ Taste Lab”.
In this lab, the presentation of the cheeses is done by comparing several different types of cheeses. For example, in a lab called “Hard Cheese Face-Off,” three hard cheeses are compared: Italian Grana Padano, Dutch Gouda, and Swiss Sbrinz. The navigators are cheese experts, producers, and sellers, and more sommeliers.They explain the same cheeses in different positions taking turns, sometimes talk about it together.They discuss cheese production methods, characteristics, perspectives, historical background and episodes, and wine pairings. Participants follow their guidance and analyze the cheese using their sensory organs. By tasting, comparing and analyzing the differences in appearance, smell, touch, texture, and taste, we could use our sensory organs more carefully and learn more about food than we normally do without thinking about it.
And then the participants express the difference in words. Even if you know that smell and taste are different, it is very difficult to describe them in words. Taste is highly subjective, so it is difficult to describe what you taste to others, or what others taste to you. Sometimes what others describe may not be true for you. And other people’s expressions may be different for me. Even so, we can find some words that we can share with others. They become the vocabulary to express objective taste.
