Products of the High Quisquina
Ours traditional Feast of the Cheese returns , after any years of interruption. And it is dresses of a new and positive meaning. The past years have marked a decisive moment in the same way of conceive the centenary art of the production of cheeses of big quality. The historical and traditional methodology to do chees has received the addresses and the scheduled obligations from the communitarian and national normative in subject of production and transformation of the milk. The [pecorino], the [canestrato], the [caciotte], the fresh and salty buttermilk curd [ricotta] and the [caciocavallo] maintains the tastes and the genuineness that they for a long time have separate, not only in Sicily, the cheeses of S. Stefano. Products of esteem therefore. But also sure, checked and certified under the hygienic - sanitary appearance, for guarantee the consumer more and more. A binomial of ancient tradition and new safety parameters by now that could not be abdicated. The producers of Santo Stefano have known how to gather the changes in action and, with notable financial and technical efforts, they have assured the survival of our cheeses. But also who, also not transforming directly the milk but only causes it, has strongly contributed to the continuity of the local tradition. And finally the dealers of cheese and buttermilk curd [ricotta], that assuring and seeking new channels of sale, they allow the sector [cheeses] to grow and develop. The Feast must be agreement like moment of contact between our territory and the outside, between our producers and the potential consumers. Finality of advertising type for the cheese products but also a showcase of the whole community of S. Stefano, a section on our cultural historical resources and of landscape and of the gastromimical activities that our commune possesses.
Place in the heart of the Sicani Mountains, the territory of the Commune of S. Stefano Quisquina represents a happy island for the abundance of water and for the particularity of the landscape, rich of natural pastures, woods and fertile valleys of mountain. The country, place to 732 meters over the sea level is easily attainable from the slide fast PA-AG (exit of Lercara Friddi or Cammarata), from Ribera and from Agrigento through the S.S. 118.
The particularities of the territory climb on and the ideal agrarian and climatic characteristics of the zone of the Quisquina always have to favorite the breeding zootechnic, above all of [ovine - goatish] and cattle. From centuries, in fact, the stock-rising represents the principal economic font of our Country. The history of the cheese of S. Stefano Quisquina, in fact, comes proven from ancient papery, and fixed documents, among other things, from the "historical memory" present today in our community, give us above all from the testimony of so much elderly that they have worked in the sector (sheherds"[picurara]," "[curatuli]," farmers"[massarioti]," etc.) until from the beginnings of the century, and which they report of have learned the ancient techniques of workmanship from people that from generations had learned her and you hand down. The typical cheese of S. Stefano Quisquina for a long time is gotten curdling milk of sheep at times joined to of the small and varying percentages of cow milk . This characteristic doesn't go sight like a variation to the productive standards of the cheese Sicilian "Pecorino" (sheep's milk cheese), how come a simple continuation (real tradition and not advertising) of the ancient kinds of the feudal breedings ( "farms") present in zone, in which they were thick present in the same time, and evev today, ovine and cattle. In the pastoral reality in which it has been lived up to any decade ago, in fact, also cheese curdle with techniques and equal utensils needed satisfy conditions a great deal different from breeding to breeding, such from get a cheese thick not homogeneus for gauge and form, but from the taste marked and equal not mistakable the a the other. The particularities that have separate the cheese of S. Stefano, in fact, always are not identify simply in the visual appearance, but they are seek in the particular taste and tied up aroma to the esteened pastures of mountain, on using of traditional chees curdle technics,on the use of water of rising, etc. His typical cylindrical form is with the superior concave face. The firm workmanship and handicraft of the product one does that the gauge and the height of the cheese is varying, depend from the quantity of milk worked every day. The crust, of white-pale yellow color, on distinguish it by the signs engraved from the rush basketfull "[precentino]" in which the cheese comes worked and from which it takes the form.
The process of transformation which one gains the cheese of S. Stefano copies to a large extent the standard process of the Sicilian "Pecorino" D.O.P., except any details tied up directly to the historical tradition of our zone. The milk as soon as after the milking (middle temperature of 32- 35° C) is filtrate and introduced in a wooden tub, where, by means of the addition of curdle of lamb, it suffers the disposition process of coagulation. After around 30- 40 minutes the process of coagulation carries to the taking and hardening of the milk "[quagliata]," which, by the use of the (knee-cup) "[rotula]" and the contextual addition of hot water (75° C) comes broken in so much small granules. To this point the separation between the solid part happens ("[tuma]") that resides to the bottom of the "tub" and the liquid part "[lacciata]" that goes in surface. On proceeded, therefore, to the separation of the two parts extracting at first the "[lacciata]" and introducing it in proper container in copper ("[quadaro]") for the production of the buttermilk curd [ricotta], and recovering subsequently from the bottom of the "tub" the "[tuma]" that comes introduced in the baskets of rush ("[precentini di junco]") to favour the drainage. The baskets with the "[tuma]" they come then begun to the inside of the "[tina]" and [ricoperti] with her burns hot ("[seru]"), residual product after the breakthrough of the the buttermilk curd [ricotta]. The "tub" "[tina]" carefully covered comes for avoid the decrease of the temperature and guarantee the correct cooking of the cheese in this way. The phase of hard cooking in average from 3 to 5 hours is depending from the greatness of the cheese forms. Beyond to the traditional "cheese of S. Stefano Quisquina" in these last years the production of cheeses one notably diversified, equalizationing to those that are the new applications of the market, and particularly: Fresh cheese; Cheese seasoned seeds; Fresh and seasoned Caciotte, Caciocavallo; Fresh Buttermilk Curd [Ricotta] of sheep or mixed; Salty Buttermilk Curd of sheep or mixed.
Up to any decade ago, in which best part of our breedings were still unprovided of firm centers, the milk was formed inside of small haystacks (rudimentary rural lodgings realized in stone and weeds [fratta] or directly to the open. Few, in fact, were the places present employees to the inside of ancient baronial farms ("[marcatu]"). Today, instead, the application of the details and restrictive hygienic- sanitary normative, it makes true that the transformation of the milk happens in fit present places inside of the firm centers, gifted authorized I and recognized with proper number of CEE identification. The maintenance and relative seasoning of the cheese, instead, happen still today in special local places inside of the inhabited center ("[salaturi]"), placed in particularly shaded and cool places, necessary conditions to guarantee an optimal maintenance and maturation of the cheese, above all in the summer periods, and able to better and countersign the aromatic characteristics and gustatives of the seasoned cheese.