Fiore Sardo Dop, the raw milk cheese wants to preserve its "magic": «We protect craftsmanship and tradition»
Producer Salvatore Bussu: «We must continue on this path, perhaps meeting haute cuisine. This is the secret of success."
It is the pride that rises from the countryside. That white gold that tells a story of identity, beyond the cold numbers. The strength of Fiore Sardo Dop is not measured in tonnes produced, just 339 in 2023. Indeed, that apparently small figure makes us understand the rarity, the magic of the Sardinian cheese par excellence. «This product made from raw, unpasteurized milk is made in a totally artisanal way, as our ancestors taught us», comments Salvatore Bussu , an award-winning producer originally from Ollolai but with a farm in the Macomer countryside. «We must continue on this path, perhaps meeting haute cuisine. This is the secret of success." Massimiliano Venusti , coordinator of the Laore dairy sector, adds: «Craftsmanship always rewards, with its rhythmic gestures, those caressed shapes. Mastery excites."
DOP Cheese Sardinia
Three days full of ideas, from 21st to 23rd May, to discover Sardinian PDO cheeses. The event set up by Laore Sardegna goes to the archives after having spread positivity and having indicated the path to follow to create a bright future starting from the countryside. The journey between origin, quality and taste received the hoped-for consensus and won over the large group of restaurateurs, journalists and food bloggers who traveled the island for three intense days, including guided tours of excellent dairies, workshops and cooking shows with the starred chef Francesco Stara . «We have focused on valorising our three DOP branded cheeses - Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Romano, Fiore Sardo - because we are convinced that we can go beyond traditional use», states Alessandro De Martini , director of the zootechnical supply chain and animal welfare development service of the 'Laore Sardinia agency. «We believe that these extremely high quality products can rightfully belong in large kitchens and be the basis of important dishes. Indeed, in light of the flattering comments collected among professionals, I believe that prestigious kitchens should welcome our cheeses as ideal ambassadors."
Fiore Sardo Dop
After dedicating Tuesday to the discovery of Pecorino Sardo, in Dolianova, and Wednesday to the story of the cheese of the moment, Pecorino Romano, in Ittiri, the machine set up by Laore made a stop in the Macomer countryside. The brothers Gianfranco and Salvatore Bussu have revealed the secrets of Fiore Sardo Dop , in their family-run company which releases an almost sacred manual skill everywhere. To make that unique cheese, subscribed to recognition, only regular and always the same gestures are needed. Thus, the Ollolai brothers showed the Dop Cheese Sardinia team their daily life. The pot full of whole milk, fresh and raw, freshly milked and arriving only from those sheep that graze there, a few meters away, monitored by sight; the finely broken curd, not subjected to cooking; the hands that caress the white paste, shape it and give life to the enchantment . «These are the things that I adore, the gestures that make me emotional and that I want to talk about when I return to Holland», says Elisa Sabeddu, an island restaurateur and daughter of an artist who has long lived in Amsterdam . "These are the traditions that we must preserve and promote at all costs." Salvatore Bussu points out: «The Fiore Sardo Dop, specifications in hand, must respect these characteristics: raw milk from Sardinian sheep, lamb rennet, smoking. A perfect product can only be obtained in an artisanal way, as we have done in the family for generations." Clear concepts, endorsed by the recent "Italian Cheese Awards" , with the nomination won by the Fiore Sardo Dop 24 months from the Bussu brothers' dairy.
Restaurateurs
They were attentive, very interested spectators. From the spaces of the Argiolas dairy in Dolianova , passing through the Lait cooperative in Ittiri , up to the Marghine pastures of the Bussu family. Yes, the many restaurateurs who participated in the DOP Cheese Sardinia project , supported by a good group of journalists, unanimously declared: «We believe the valorisation of Sardinian DOP cheeses should be an obligation from now on». Marcello Sanna, regional president of the Italian Chefs Federation , specifies: «We have excellence, unique in the world, with boundless potential. Our task must be to valorise these PDO branded products." Clear, thoughtful words, well imprinted in the mind of the starred chef Francesco Stara . The Island in the kitchen starts again from here, from the charm of Badde Salighes . From a steaming plate, from a roasted octopus with black rice and Fiore Sardo Dop .
