Sikong Yao looked around and found that there was one place where the cheese was the most conspicuous, not far from her left, there were dozens of wooden gong-shaped containers, with fine and ancient patterns drawn on them, which were enough to see that what was hidden in it must be very high-grade cheese!

The fermentation vessel of cheese determines its grade, the more advanced the fermentation vessel made of wood, the stronger the flavor added to the cheese fermentation, judging from this wooden barrel with delicate lines, Sikong Yao can know that it must be very high-grade cheese held here, and this wooden barrel also looks like it has a certain sense of history, and it must be the best that has been used.

Sikong Yao was immediately attracted by the scenery here, and the wooden barrels were piled up one by one, like totems with mysterious rituals, and she looked at Lute at a glance.

Lute immediately understood what Sikong Yao meant, so he explained: "This is padano cheese, the highest cheese in Italy. ”

Padano cheese, whose full name is Grena Padano cheese, is a specialty of the Padana plains in northern Italy. The origin of the cheese dates back to 1000 AD when the Benedictine monks of the region preserved the remaining milk. Thanks to the region's abundant milk source, the resulting hard cheeses retain the main nutrients of the milk after maturation and produce a unique taste that is both mild and aromatic. Because of its grainy texture, this cheese is naturally called "grana" cheese. It has a good reputation in Italy, and during the Renaissance, the product became a kind of prize at banquets held by princes and nobles, and was highly regarded, and it was once certified as a Chinese geographical indication product.

Lute smiled and said, "You know what? Actually, the Padana Plain is my hometown, and this Padana cheese is our specialty. ”

The Padana Plain is the largest plain in Italy and southern Europe. It stretches for about 50,000 square kilometers between the Alps and the Apennines. It is a region that is less affected by the oceanic climate, with very cold winters and very hot summers with high humidity [.]

The Padana Plain, which has soils that are particularly suitable for producing high-quality forage, is dominated by pastures, rice, corn, soybeans and fruits in the lower plains. Large patches of alfalfa and clover are distributed, providing abundant and high-quality feed, resulting in thriving farms where the production of milk and pigs is highly productive. It is an important production area for milk, meat, vegetables and fruits. The foundation is laid for the fermentation of cheese.

The "Padana Plains" have been producing Grena Padano cheese for about 1,000 years, and its inherent character has been preserved through the use of traditional techniques and the passing down of cheese-making know-how from generation to generation. As it became popular, the name of the cheese was added to the name of the cheese in addition to the "Grena", with the addition of different toponymic adjectives within the Padana Plain. Over time, these different toponymic adjectives were replaced by the unified geographical indication "padano".

Lute explained to Sikong Yao: "Padano cheese originated in 1000 A.D. with an interesting legend and the ingenuity of the monks. The Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Chiaravalle developed animal husbandry by transforming the land, which soon produced large quantities of milk that far exceeded the needs of the inhabitants. ”

Therefore, the monks devised the "recipe" for the Grena Padano cheese, a method of skillfully preserving the remaining milk. Lute immersed himself in the aroma of padana cheese and gently closed his eyes and enjoyed: "Hard cheeses are ripe to retain the main nutrients of milk and produce a unique taste that is both mild and aromatic. Due to the grainy texture of this cheese. That's why it's natural to call it "grana" cheese.

Over time, the Grena Padano cheese gained a good reputation, and during the Renaissance, the product soon became a prize at banquets hosted by princes and nobles, and was highly regarded; At the same time, it also became the main source of nutrition for residents of rural areas during times of terrible famine. There are two souls of this cheese: it is both the main ingredient in the recipes of aristocratic delicacies and the basic ingredient in traditional everyday cooking. ”

"Over time, the practice of converting milk into 'Grana' became more and more common, and it became one of the pillars of the agricultural economy. For thousands of years. The traditional production methods of Grena Padano cheese have been passed down from generation to generation, ensuring that today's products are still known for their taste, smell, texture and appearance. ”

Sikong Yao shrugged. She didn't know anything about the production method of cheese, although this ingredient was not unfamiliar, but she was not familiar with it, Lute saw Sikong Yao's blank face, so he said: "Follow me over there, I'll show you how cheese is produced." ”

With Lute leading. Arriving at the cheese section, Sikong Yao saw that the chefs were placing the partially skimmed milk, which had been partially defatted by natural paste, in a traditional double-bottomed copper cauldron that should have enough capacity to hold the two largest cheese wheels. Natural milk will be added to the milk.

"Yeast is different from bread, and cheese is made up of a natural lactic acid bacterium that evolved from the milk produced during the previous cheese making process," says Lute. Milk inoculated with this yeast is heated to 31°C-33°C and the stomach lining of the calf is added to help coagulate. The curd is then crushed, heated to between 53°C and 56°C and stirred. After heating, the granules of the curd will sink to the bottom of the cauldron and bind together, leaving it in the milk slurry to steam for 30-70 minutes, and the cooking temperature must not be higher than the temperature at the end of the heating process. ”

Sikong Yao couldn't help but feel that his arm strength was amazing when he saw the chef swinging a stirring stick that was twenty centimeters thick, compared to the process of making it, Sikong Yao seemed to be more interested in the container of padana cheese, after all, fermenting cheese is a long process, and she was not strongly interested in it.

Sikong Yao asked, "Are the containers for the cheese all this kind of cylindrical barrels?" ”

Lu Ting nodded: "Two days after the cheese is made, it will form a cylindrical shape in the mold, called a cheese wheel, and then it will be soaked in a solution of salt and water for salting. The duration of this process varies, but generally 16 to 25 days, depending on the type of salt solution, the size of the cheese wheel, and the level of salting out required. However, there are also places where this cylindrical abrasive will not be used, such as triangular or square ones, of course, round or mainstream, a bit like a cake. ”

Sikong Yao nodded, and then visited the next wooden block, where several chefs were taking the cheese wheels out of the brine, transporting them to the "warming room" or heating area to air dry for a few hours, and finally transferring them to the maturation warehouse for stacking.

The maturation process should be carried out in well-insulated conditions and should be equipped with modern systems to control the required temperature, humidity and ventilation.

Sikong Yao also noticed that there was a device with several numbers on it, and Lute explained: "During the long maturation process, the Grena-Padano cheese will undergo a series of physical, chemical and microbiological changes, which will be reflected mainly through sensory characteristics. During this time, the cheese wheel should be inspected, cleaned, and flipped every fifteen days or so. This work, which was once entirely manual, is now carried out by brush removers and automatic steering equipment. ”

Sikong Yao nodded, the International Association for the Study of Gastronomy is worthy of being the world's top chef organization, using very advanced instruments and using scientific management methods to produce food.

Immediately after that, Sikong Yao saw several chefs making holes in the cheese wheel, and Lute explained: "When appropriate, the traditional inspection tools should be used, with a small hammer or a small needle cheese wheel, and if a more definitive inspection is required, the cheese wheel should be cut, but because there is an instrument to monitor it, it is rarely necessary to cut it." ”

The small hammer, a small steel utensil with a well-balanced weight throughout, is an indispensable tool for opening holes in cheese wheels. The procedure can only be carried out by a small number of professional testers to see if there are unqualified cracks and voids in the cheese, or to show cracks or defects caused by abnormal fermentation.

Inserting a long screw needle into the cheese wheel in order to check the aroma and taste of the cheese is a simple and ancient method of checking without harming the product itself in any way, ancient wisdom that is sometimes impossible to outlaw by technology.

However, if a professional tester wants to completely guarantee the quality of the cheese, he or she can still select a sample of cheese with a diameter of about 1 cm and a length of 7-8 cm with the help of a small probe. Core sample inspections will be used to show the color, aroma and elasticity of the cheese, or defects such as irregular holes or cracks.

But Lute always has an unconcealed sense of pride when he mentions padano cheese, and he is filled with pure respect for this delicacy that originated in his hometown.

After Sikong Yao understood the whole process of Padano cheese production, an idea suddenly popped up in his heart, Lute seemed to know everything, and worked in the International Gastronomy Research Association, so his strength should be first-class, if he could compete with him, he would be able to see what the gap between himself and the International Gastronomy Research Association was.

Sikong Yao suddenly ignited a scorching battle intent, looked at Lute's color and became fanatical, and smiled happily: "Lute, are you free?" Why don't we compare it? Dessert dishes. (To be continued.) )