It will open its doors on September 15 Cheese 2023 the largest international event dedicated to raw milk cheeses, organized by Slow Food and the City of Bra.
Cheesemakers, shepherds, producers and experts from all over the world will gather in the Piedmontese town to present their products, share their ideas and common solutions to the challenges ahead, starting with the climate crisis.
In particular, they will come from 14 countries exhibitors in the large cheese market and in Via degli Affinatori. Between these internationally known names such as the Jasper Hill company from the US, Neil's Yard from the UK, growers and breeders from Switzerland, Sweden and various other European countries such as Belgium and Portugal. Historical exhibitors of Cheese arrive from Spain, such as Quesería Cultivo, part of an important national delegation that includes representatives from the Slow Food Community Via de la Plata para el amparo de productos y emprendidores de las provincias de Salamanca y Zamora. Among the Slow Food Presidia that present their cheeses and tell their stories, mention should be made of raw milk Stichelton and artisanal Somerset Cheddar from the United Kingdom, Irish raw milk cheeses, extra-aged artisanal Gouda from the Netherlands, 'Swiss traditional Emmentaler, the French Bleu del Queyras and from Austria the sheep's milk cheese of the Plezzana variety. The latter are the protagonists of the conference Welcome to the new cheese Presidia, and more.
North Macedonia presents its program of tastings and activities thanks to the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. Elena Karovska Gosevska, coordinator of Slow Food Macedonia participates in the September conference let's go. It's time to migrate. The civilization of transhumance. North Macedonia is also the focus of the Taste of Grass and Transhumance Workshop in North Macedonia.
Cheeses from 14 countries, from Colombia to the Nordic countries to Türkiye
The international network of Slow Food is also represented by numerous delegations from Norway and other northern countries, the Balkans, Ukraine and Turkey.
Among others, Ben Mehedin, coordinator of the Slow Food Bazna Pork Presidium in Romania, and Dessislava Dimitrova, coordinator of Slow Food in Bulgaria, are on stage at the African swine fever conference. Who pays the highest price? to discuss how they are dealing with the viral disease that has spread in the Balkans in recent months and what consequences it is having for biodiversity and for shepherds. While Oleksandr Shatalov, spokesman of the Slow Food Community for the revitalization of Hutsul gastronomy and traditional agriculture in Kvasy in Zakarpattia and founder of the Rosenthal organic farm in Transcarpathia, Ukraine, in the conference Reinhabiting the mountains they explain how they are trying to regenerate mountains and highlands. Aud Slettehaug, representative of the Slow Food Presidium of Artisanal Geitost of the Sogne Fjord and Pultost from the villages of Hedmark and Oppland, in Norway, presents challenges and solutions in Chronicles of the changing climate, even on pastures.
A veritable caravan of producers arrives from France: starting on Monday 11 September from Camembert, the group reaches Bra after visiting various farmers and cheesemakers to assist in the production stages of some cheeses, arriving at Cheese with a load of caci from the Presidia of 'Beyond the Alps.
The protagonists of A look beyond the border are the anufactura de Branza from Romania, produced by Istvan Vargas, the sbrinz d'alpeggio (Slow Food Presidium) from Switzerland and the afuega l'pitu made with raw milk from Spain.
Tastings of rare cheeses will be accompanied by show cooking
On 18 September at 15 pm Serra Beklen, chef of the Slow Food Alliance of Antalya and patron of the Capra restaurant in Kaş, will participate in the Workshop Discovering Turkish gastronomic and dairy traditionse: the cheese halva with one of the most representative recipes of the Çanakkale region: the cooked cheese halva, a traditional dessert rich in history and taste.
Among the Appointments at the Table, opens the program Forests of Spain with chef Marc Ribas who presents the Ramats de Foc project, aimed at protecting local flora from the risk of fires due to climate change thanks to forest grazing.
While Juan Camilo Quintero presents his gastronomic journey that combines his country of origin, Colombia, to reach the sea of the Tuscan coast and the Chianti hills, where the Borgo San Felice Relais & Châteaux resort received the Michelin Star in 2021 and the Michelin Green Star in 2022, which rewards restaurants particularly committed to sustainable cuisine.
