Bra

This semi-hard, half-fat (32%) cheese made with semi-skimmed cows’ milk comes from the town of Cuneo in the province of Piedmont. Its name is taken from the little town of Bra, which is reputed to be the commercial centre of the production of the cheese. The cheese is sweet-tasting, mild and flavoursome, with little holes in the paste and a white centre. There are two versions: the fresh cheese, which is matured for 45 days and used as table cheese and for cooking; and the aged one, which is matured for one year, to produce a semi-hard cheese which is good for grating. Bra comes in rounds with a diameter of 30-40 cm (12-16 inches), 7-9 cm (2¾-3½ inches) high and weighing around 6-8 kg (13-18 lb).