Identikit and main features
The Toma Piemontese is a cheese which can be produced in two varieties: fat and soft texture, if it is produced with cow’s milk and semi-fat and sem-hard if it is produced with skimmed milk. In the first case the rind is elastic and yellow, whereas, in the second case it is reddish-brown with a yellow texture. The taste is sweet and agreeable, the fragrance very delicate. In the semi-fat variant the rind is less elastic, the rind brownish-red and the texture is yellow. The taste is harmonic and the fragrance more intense. The weight is variables, included between 1,8 and 8 kg.
Area of production
It is produced in the following provinces and municipalities: Novara, Verbania, Vercelli, Biella, Torino and Cuneo; Acqui Terme, Terzo, Bistagno, Ponti, Denice (AL), Monastero Bormida, Roccaverano, Mombaldone, Olmo Gentile and Serole (AT).
History
The Toma Piemontese is produced using cow’s milk only and it has very ancient origins which date back to the Roman Empire, but we have documents only from the 1000. It is mentioned almost in as “pastus” (meal) for poor people. The production of this cheese has always been linked to the pasture activities of the farmers who came to the mountains during the summer and came back to the valley during the winter season. The environmental conditions of the places where it is produced determine its organoleptic features.
