Cheeses from Val Pusteria: the tradition of a land

From a culinary point of view, Val Pusteria is a Melting-Pot between the traditions of Northern Italy and the influences of the Austrian and German neighbors. Many South Tyrolean specialties have had great influences from the Pusteria Valley, and arise from an ancient tradition made up of wastelands and country life. The habits of life of the first inhabitants of Val Pusteria were made up of work between agriculture and livestock, and family life within their own farm. There are many traditional dishes, but today we want to focus on one in particular: cheeses.

The uncontaminated pastures in fact offer the ideal conditions for the production of cheeses as it is difficult to taste them elsewhere. The cows and goats graze peacefully in nature, and the milk they produce is not only truly genuine but is already born with a particular flavor, thanks to the meadows rich in aromatic herbs. Pustertaler (full name Schnittkäse Pustertaler) is the cut cheese from the Pusteria Valley. Here the very strong dairy tradition of the malghe has evolved including industrial preparation processes. The product owes its tradition to the local origin of the raw materials. Cheese production has a long and uninterrupted tradition in the Pusteria Valley and especially in the Brunico dairy. The products that are born under these favorable conditions, and which it is absolutely necessary to taste, are: the Alta Pusteria cheese (Hochpustertaler), the Sesto mountain cheese (Sextner Almkäse) and the original Dobbiaco cheese (Toblacher Stangenkäse), where there is "Mondolatte", a cheese production center that is open to the public and allows you to discover the secrets of this art and taste its products. Those who love particular tastes must absolutely try the Graukäse: a pearl of the Pusteria gastronomy, gray in color, made using the milk left over from the production of butter, and which is often served with red onion rings. Typical above all of the Valle Aurina and Alta Pusteria.

To make sure you don't miss a single taste, the “Cheese Festival” takes place every year in Campo Tures, where many types of products are collected. Also in Campo Tures there is the meeting event "Good food under the stars": from mid-July to the end of August, every Tuesday evening, locals and tourists can savor all the specialties of this splendid land. The event includes Street Food tastings and guarantees a journey into the best flavors.

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