Pannerone
It is without a doubt one of the most characteristic cheese varieties of the area of Lodi. The name "Pannerone", or "Panerone" derives from the local dialect term "panera", meaning "cream", "milk cream". Its main feature, making it unique, is the total absence of any salting process. The cow raw milk coagulates at 28-32°C in 30 minutes; then, the curd is broken to obtain grains of the size of a grain of corn. The whey is partially withdrawn with bowls and, maintaining the mass always on the go, the curd is extracted with clothes. Afterwards, the dough is crumbled by hand, put in the baskets, where it remains for 4-5 days at a temperature of 28-32°C, in order to complete the draining. After extracting them from the molds, the rounds of pannerone are wrapped up in a special paper, tighten up by small wooden bends and stewed for one more day. The maturation process continues by maintaining the rounds at room temperature for 24-48 hours. After that, the cheese is put into the fridge at 4-6°C. The maturation process takes about 10 days. The rounds, weighing about 12- 13 kilos, have a thin and smooth rind, with a straw-yellow color. Inside, the cheese is white with widespread holes, soft and scented. The taste is sweet and buttery, never spicy nor too acidulous, with a characteristic bitterish aftertaste. Pannerone is used in several recipes, but it is also appreciated alone. The chefs from Lodi suggest eating it with mustard, honey, or cooked pears.
Texts and information taken from the web site of the province of Lodi, edited by the Agriculture and Rural Environment Department (www.lodigianoterrabuona.it).
