Ragusano, a king's cheese. Its delicacy was appreciated since the 400s and not by ordinary people but by the Spanish court, to the point that, as testified in 1515 by the historian Carmelo Trasselli, author of the book Ferdinand the Catholic and Charles V, in era developed a thriving naval trade between Sicily and the Iberian peninsula, for the export of the Ragusano cheese so appreciated in Spain that it enjoys an exemption from customs duties. Three centuries later, the fame of the goodness of the Ragusano had not faded. The abbot Paolo Balsamo scientist, economist and historian, holder of the chair of Agriculture at the Royal Academy of Palermo praises "the goodness of the cattle of Modica" and the "cheese and ricotta products, fifty percent superior to the municipalities, and of twenty-five percent to the best of Sicily”. And the nineteenth-century historian Filippo Garofalo was no less, author of a study on the Modica county who cited the fame and exquisiteness of the Ragusano cheeses and ricottas.
With these illustrious precedents, it remains a mystery how it was possible that this extraordinary cheese that carries in its heart the fragrance of the pastures of the Eubean mountains, a genuine flavor of past times, of pristine meadows and perfumed air, fell into oblivion and that only today, thanks to being rightfully entered among the slow food principals, is finally experiencing a new youth.
The historical denomination of this product of excellence is Caciocavallo Ragusano, and it is a stretched curd cheese. The name already suggests the peasants' custom of hanging this cheese astride (“a cavaddu”) a stick placed horizontally, for drying. But today there is a profound distinction between Ragusano, a fine parallelepiped-shaped cheese weighing 13-15 kilograms, which is subjected piece by piece to the rigorous examination of a commission of the Consortium and then branded and numbered, like a gold ingot, and the Caciocavallo, which is none other than the Ragusano which during the seasoning has presented some anomalies in the shape or on the surface.
A heritage of flavors saved by the slow food presidium
But above all, Ragusano can be produced with milk coming exclusively from cows of the Modicana breed, a breed originally from Modica that was once very widespread due to its ability to adapt to all climates and was then abandoned due to its low milk production up to risking extinction. for which it was included in the registry of native cattle populations and ethnic groups with limited diffusion. And the Ragusano milk from Modica cows raised on natural pasture contains all the extraordinary flavors of the spontaneous vegetation of the Iblei mountains. And that's still not enough because the specification still provides that excess forage, including hay, will constitute supplementary forage for grazing in the following season. All this gives the milk an aromatic uniqueness, inextricably linking it to the territory. The researches of Corfilac, the Research Consortium of the Dairy Chain have highlighted the richness of the aromatic components of the cheese ranging from fresh to toasted mushrooms, from orange to freshly cut grass and above all the presence of floral notes typical of the Iblei, such as calendula, anthemis, malva silvestris, geranium, jasmineProduced only in one season of the year to preserve the flavors of the herbs
Produced only with the milk of grazing cows
Because of all these rigorous provisions, Ragusano cannot be produced all year round. In fact, it is produced exclusively in the fodder season, from November to May, with traditional techniques. In wooden vats, raw and whole milk is mixed with lamb or kid rennet paste, obtained from selected and controlled origin lamb and kid abomasums, with the addition of sodium chloride. It is left to coagulate for about 60-80 minutes, at 34-36ºC, thus exploiting the spontaneous development of the dairy microflora. Then follows a first cooking with the addition of water at a temperature of 80°C, until the cheese mass is reduced to the size of rice grains. The curd is then separated from the whey and subjected to pressing to favor its contraction. After about two hours, the curd will be cut into large slices and subjected to a second cooking in hot water or boiling whey, and covered with a cloth to prevent lowering of the temperature. As a rule, salting in saturated brine cannot lead to a salt content higher than 6%.
The seasoning in the caves hanging from the ropes of zammarra
The seasoning phase takes place in cool environments with geologically natural walls, essentially in caves, such as to guarantee 14-16ºC and 80-90% humidity. The forms are tied in pairs with "liama" ropes or "cannu", "zammarra" or cotton ropes and then hung astride wooden beams. To obtain the DOP mark, the cheese must mature for a minimum of 3 months but the maturation can last even beyond 12 months. Then the fire branding certifies its originality by reporting the company brand of the cheese maker, the stamps of the denomination, the numbering.
“All attempts to produce it in large dairies, with modern technology, proudly affirms Rosario Floridia, born in 1939, a life dedicated to work continuing a tradition started by his father, who today produces one of the best Ragusani Dop on the market – have given poor results : it has never been possible to reproduce the quality and uniqueness of farmhouse cheese”.
The quality of this cheese is also such that the complexity of flavors and aromas increases over time. For which the best Ragusano is obtained with aging from eight to twenty-four months. In particular, when fresh, Ragusano PDO has a pleasant aroma, characteristic of the particular production procedures and a decidedly pleasant flavour, ranging from sweet vanilla to slightly spicy. With aging it tends to become spicy and tasty with hints of almond.
Ragusano DOP is widely used in the preparation of typical Sicilian gastronomy dishes and goes very well with white wines. The seasoned one, on the other hand, the flavor is enhanced if tasted with red wines. It is particularly suitable to accompany typical Sicilian wines such as Nero d'Avola, Merlot, Syrah, and Cerasuolo di Vittoria.
RECIPE
Carpaccio rolls with Ragusano DOP with cherry tomatoes and mint
Ingredients for 4 people:
200 g of meat for the carpaccio (fragment or other very thinly sliced lean meat) 150 g of Ragusano DOP (or good quality semi-seasoned caciocavallo) 200 g of cherry tomatoes White vinegar EVO oil Salt, pepper A few sprigs of mint
Preparation:
Prepare an emulsion with 6 tablespoons of vinegar and 6 of oil. Take a flat base container, cover it with slices of meat, pour a little emulsion over it, continue with a second layer of meat, a second layer of emulsion and so on until the end. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. After this time, squeeze the meat and dry it in absorbent paper. Cut thin slices of cheese. Place a slice of cheese in the center of each slice of meat and wrap it like a bundle. Wash the cherry tomatoes well and season with oil, salt, pepper and sprigs of chopped mint. Pour the cherry tomatoes on the rolls, leave to infuse for at least half an hour in the fridge and serve.
