In search of Morlacco, a summer delicacy from Vicenza

About

Morlacco began with butter. Traditionally, the evening milk was left overnight so the cream could rise. The cream was removed and made into butter, which could be sold down in the plain. The skimmed milk that remained was mixed with whole milk from the following morning and made into a soft, lean cheese. Morlacco therefore began as the cheaper part of a dairy economy in which the valuable fat had already gone elsewhere. Slow Food traces the name to Morlachia, a historic area of the Balkans, and to shepherds and woodsmen who settled on Monte Grappa during the period of the Venetian Republic. The cheese is still made from uncooked curd in the mountain dairies, traditionally called cason, using milk from cattle grazing outside during summer.

→ Butter for the plain, cheese for the mountain

The evening milk rested in the cason de l’aria, a dairy room ventilated through narrow openings in the walls. Overnight, the cream rose to the surface and could be skimmed for butter, an important source of income from customers down on the plain. The remaining milk supplied Morlacco, an everyday cheese for the herders. In the present mountain preparation, skimmed evening milk is combined with whole milk from the following morning  Morlacco was historically made with milk from Burlina cows, the only native cattle breed of the Veneto, small black and white animals adapted to the mountain pasture but producing far less milk than modern dairy breeds. Slow Food now lists the Burlina as seriously endangered.

→ What Morlacco tastes like

Young Morlacco has a pale paste, small moist openings and a pronounced saline flavour. It can be eaten after about fifteen days, although maturation may continue for up to three months. With age, the salt becomes less dominant and the flavours of pasture and hazelnut more pronounced. Traditionally, the cheese accompanied polenta, boiled potatoes or country bread, providing a substantial part of the herders’ meals. Ask whether the producer has different maturations available to compare. Morlacco can be eaten after about fifteen days or matured for up to three months. It remains soft, pale and relatively lean, with a distinct salty flavour. Production is concentrated between June and September, when the animals are grazing on Monte Grappa.

→ Ask for the summer Morlacco di malga

The Slow Food Presidium concentrates on Morlacco made from raw milk during the summer grazing season, from June to September. Production takes place in mountain dairies known locally as cason. When buying, ask who made the cheese, when it was produced and whether it belongs to the Presidium. These details distinguish the particular summer production described here from the wider range sold under the Morlacco name.

WHERE TO FIND MORLACCO DEL GRAPPA

FOR THE SLOW FOOD PRODUCER

Malga Gasparini

Via Campo de Roa 4, Solagna, Vicenza
Phone +39 329 2426388 Email: malga.gasparini@gmail.com.

Ivan and Omar Andreatta keep Burlina cattle at Malga Gasparini, where the herd has consisted exclusively of this native breed since around 2005. Alongside Morlacco, the dairy produces Bastardo, Burlino and fresh and smoked ricotta, selling directly to visitors. Ivan Andreatta is listed among the Morlacco Presidium’s producers and is its producer coordinator. Contact him about the summer cheese and the maturations available before making the journey.

FOR A FARM LUNCH ON MONTE GRAPPA

Agriturismo Malga Vittoria

Via Nosellari, Pove del Grappa, Vicenza
Phone +39 0424 556075
Mobile +39 339 4278790 Email: malgavittoria@hotmail.it.

At approximately 890 metres, Malga Vittoria occupies a former First World War fort, subsequently used as a mountain farm and opened as an agriturismo in 1994. Its published menu includes a courgette flan with fonduta di Morlacco, a warm cheese sauce. The kitchen identifies Malga Monte Asolone in Pove del Grappa as its cheese supplier; the courgettes come from the business’s own garden. Ask about the Morlacco dishes being served when booking.

FOR A BASSANO LUNCH

Ristorante Al Ponte

Via Giacomo Volpato 60, Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza
Phone +39 0424 219274 Email: info@alpontedibassano.com

Al Ponte’s published menu pairs Morlacco with polenta and Treviso radicchio, the red chicory whose bitterness complements the cheese. The dining room overlooks Bassano’s historic timber bridge across the Brenta, making this a convenient address for tasting Morlacco during a day in town. Confirm that the dish is available for the service you intend to book.