In the heart of Piedmont, Italy, lies Caseificio Francesco Rabbia, a venerated institution in the world of artisan cheese-making since 1890. With their remarkable legacy and uncompromising dedication to tradition, they expertly blend age-old practices with contemporary innovation, offering cheese lovers a taste of Italy’s captivating culinary landscape.
At the core of Caseificio Rabbia’s ethos is their steadfast commitment to the wisdom passed down through generations, ensuring that every creamy morsel they create encapsulates over 130 years of cheese-making heritage. But Rabbia doesn’t merely dwell in the past. They continually seek ways to seamlessly intertwine the teachings of their ancestors with modern cheese-making techniques and sustainable practices.
This dynamic combination of tradition and innovation has brought about a sense of camaraderie among the fine food enthusiasts that Caseificio Rabbia caters to. Their shared passion for artisan cheese continues to stand the test of time, and it’s this spirit that drives Rabbia to preserve the art of Piedmont cheese-making for future generations.
Caseificio Francesco Rabbia is known not only for producing some of the finest cheeses in Italy but also for its captivating storytelling that brings the consumer closer to the cheese-making process. Let’s take a closer look at one such story that demonstrates Rabbia’s dedication to their art. In the old days, cheese production was carried out mainly in the small town of Cittal. After an initial maturation period, the cheese wheels were transported to mountain caves to further age in perfect conditions. This laborious task was essential for enhancing the flavor and preserving the cheeses.
Nowadays, with advances in technology, Rabbia has modernized this process and created a state-of-the-art facility to replicate the unique atmosphere of the ‘mountain-ageing process,’ preserving the distinctive flavor profile for which their cheese is beloved.
The journey of Caseificio Rabbia’s cheese is one that traverses both time and space, navigating through centuries, landscapes, and techniques to reach tables of food connoisseurs around the world. Each piece of cheese embodies the essence of Piedmont, telling the tale of a passionate community that values the balance between honoring its roots and embracing the future.
Stay tuned for more insight into the stories behind the cheese-making traditions of Caseificio Francesco Rabbia, as we take you on a journey deep into the heart of Piedmont’s culinary heritage.
Rogers Collection currently offers five Caseificio Francesco Rabbia cheeses:
Toma DOP, 
This cheese is versatile and easy, not overly complex, but deceptively simple – it is the perfect snack that always leaves you reaching for more. A beautiful, natural, bloomed rind adorns this cheese and gives way to a pliant and elastic paste that is perfect for melting and munching! The flavors are simple, but evocative of the high-quality milk that goes into each cheese: warm, milky notes that finish with the perfect hint of white button mushroom and sea salt.
Blu di Cuneo, 
This spoonable blue comes in a convenient six pound wheel that is bursting with mouthwatering flavors. This cheese is the collective effort of a recently formed association of traditional cheesemakers from the Cuneo area. Each producer involved crafts this enticing blue cheese that is typical of the area according to traditional recipes and methods, to preserve and recognize this local cheese officially.
Raschera DOP, 
Still crafted from raw milk and cave aged in the mountain for 9 months. For anyone who has had the privilege to travel to Piedmont, you have most likely experienced this beautiful bulbus rustic square cheese in the local cuisine – in the form of a velvet like fonduta melted over onions or other local vegetables or whipped up into a perfect cheesey sauce for potato gnocchi.
Primo Pascolo,
Meaning “first pasture”, Primo Pascola is an ode to Spring in Piedmonte. The cheese’s lively aromatics capture the succulent smells of a spring meadow. This raw cow’s milk, natural rind cheese is delicately tangy and vegetal, with a subtle but complex finish with hints of buttered popcorn and clover honey. The cheeses signature springy texture is divinely doughy and fun to eat.
Pe’Delmunt, 
Meaning “foot of the mountain” and refers to the natural cave where this cheese undergoes a special maturation for 9 months. The resulting toma is an earthy delicacy: this highly fragrant cheese has a distinct aroma of dried grass, hay and damp earth, with a hint of fruitiness on the finish. The toothsome paste contains a multitude of milky, musky notes that has a zippy and sharp finish.
Written by: The New Gastronome