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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Italy, Piedmont, the whole province of Cuneo plus Villafranca Piemonte

Bra PDO (Tenero and Duro)Bra

Bra is a pressed cow's milk cheese from the province of Cuneo, named after the market town where it was sold. The curd is broken twice in the vat, pressed in moulds and salted, then sold as Tenero after at least 45 days or as the harder grating cheese Duro after at least six months. Made in 7 steps over 7.5 months. The longest step, ripen as Duro, takes at least 6 months (Disciplinare di produzione della denominazion…) and runs at up to 18 °C (European Commission 2021. Pubblicazione di un…). Lactic acid bacteria from the milk, from added cultures or from natural whey starter does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 6 monthsSet[bra-disc2012][bra-ojc2021]Ripen as Duro
Temperatureup to 18 °CSet[bra-ojc2021]Ripen as Duro

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes limits, not a recipe. A wheel is 30–40 cm across and weighs 6–9 kg at the minimum age.
Cow milk from two or more milkings · May be heat-treated; may be partly skimmed for Duro and for the d'Alpeggio type[bra-disc2012][bra-ojc2021]
up to 20%Sheep and/or goat milk · Optional[bra-ojc2021]
Lactic cultures and/or natural whey starter · Optional[bra-disc2012]
Rennet · Animal rennet with at least 80% chymosin, or a non-animal coagulant[bra-ojc2021]
Salt · Usually two dry saltings and/or brine[bra-disc2012]
Starteroptional lactic cultures or natural whey starter

Total time across the recorded steps: 7.5 months

Start
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What changes: Cow milk from two or more milkings is gathered in the vat

Step 1 of 7
Collect the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Milk from two or more milkings, sometimes partly skimmed, with up to 20% sheep or goat milk. For the d'Alpeggio type it comes from pasture between 1 June and 15 October.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Bra is made in one way but sold at two ages, as the supple table cheese Tenero after 45 days and as the hard grating cheese Duro after six months or more. Duro gets a finer second curd break, may be made from partly skimmed milk and ripens a little warmer.

Milk
Cow milk, up to 20% sheep or goat milk allowed
Ripening
Tenero at least 45 days; Duro at least six months
Size
30–40 cm across, 6–9 kg
Fat
At least 32% fat in dry matter

Related ferments

Safety

The specification allows heat-treated milk, so not every Bra is a raw-milk cheese. No safety limits are set beyond the general rules for pressed cheeses.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification traces Bra to alpine herders who came down to the valleys and the Cuneo plain at the end of summer. The town of Bra gave its name because it was the main market for the cheese. Bra was registered as a PDO in 1996; a 2021 amendment added the Stravecchio mention for Duro aged over a year.

  1. [bra-disc2012] Disciplinare di produzione della denominazione di origine protetta «Bra», consolidated text with the 2012 amendment request (copy hosted by ONAF)spec
  2. [bra-ojc2021] European Commission 2021. Pubblicazione di una domanda di approvazione di una modifica non minore del disciplinare di «Bra», Official Journal of the EU C 507, 16.12.2021, pp. 18–24 (copy hosted by ONAF)spec