Copyright 2006 Saveur Magazine first published in Mai 2006

abstracts

Circled by craggy mointains, Venaco organised its first cheese fair in 1996 to promote local cheese production. Since then it has outgrown the confines of the small village and tents are now on its outskirts to accomodate exhibitors. On opening day, fair goers walked the aisles as they sampled cheeses for the cheese competition.

If a cheese fullfills basic physical and taste criteria according to its type (Bastelicaccia, Sartinesi, Venachese, Calinzana, o Niulincu), the judges label it "typicité", for its typical quality; if it full fills both criteria with great aplomb, it gets designation "Excellence", for excellency. In 2006? 12 were judged excellent.