The Bra cheese festival is one of the biggest appointments of the year for all of us passionate about Itlaian regional food.
'Cheese - Le Forme del Latte' is organised by Slow Food, the City of Bra and the Ente Turismo Alba, Bra, Langhe and Roero.
The event is usually held over the 3rd weekend of September every two years and is over 10 years old now.
The event attracts around 150,000 people and the organisers expect them to eat 400kg of Swiss Cheese and buy 1200kg of Italy's finest mozzarella.
The whole of Bra is involved with stands lining the length of the 'centro storico'.
The overall aim is to promote regional producers and local products who are under threat from inevitable market forces.
In fact, an important initiative has been the setting up of 'Cheese Bimbi' where children aged 4-10 years can learn about the traditional methods of cheese production and get to taste products they might not find on the shelves of their local supermarket.
A recent adddition to the above event has been the revival of interest in the 'transumanza', the once common movement of sheep as the seasons change, and a renewed appreciation of the importance of pastoral life for the ancient history of Italy.
A recent television programme also shed light on the life of modern shepherds in Abruzzo.
Who are they? Well, many working the hills of Gran Sasso are immigrants from Montenegro who came over to Italy following the recent Balkan war.
They described their life as physically tough and lonely and it seems no one else wants to do it.
The product of their work, however, is the luscious 'Pecorino Tenero di Castel del Monte'.
Look out for it in Bra. |
