Montasio Festivo
- Producer
- Mozzarella Company
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Texas
- Weight
- 5 lbs
- Website
- www.mozzco.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Hard
- Rennet
- Vegetable
- Rind
- Flavored
- Style
- Alpine-style
- Flavor
- Flavor added to rind
Located in Dallas, Texas, the Mozzarella Company was founded by Paula Lambert in 1982. Paula’s passion for all things Italian was the inspiration for the Company’s creation, although when the company started in the early 80’s, it was somewhat ahead of its time in terms of being able to find a ready market for fresh Italian style mozzarella. However, persistence together with great products really paid off and The Mozzarella Company has grown steadily and expanded over the intervening decades. Today, still under the guidance of Paula, they produce a range of fresh and young, Italian type cheeses, as well as this Montasio, inspired by the aged Italian classic of the same name.
The original, PDO-protected Italian version of this cheese is produced in a mountainous region near Venice. Like the original, this Texan version becomes nuttier in flavor and firmer in texture as it ages for six months. But Paula and her team have spiced up the traditional recipe with added twists such as, in this case, incorporating chili pepper flakes into the rind.
Tasting Notes
With a strikingly rich-colored paste and a dark, chili flake-crusted rind, this cheese firm yet moist and chewy. Flavor is surprisingly subtle; it’s sweet and a bit smoky, with only a hint of lingering ancho chili warmth in the aftertaste.
Pairings
Pair it with an Etude Pinot Noir.
