Cheese

The international cheese fair in Bra has been growing ever since the first edition was held back in 1994, becoming a must for the Region and lovers of dairy products in general.

Cheese was created and organized by Slow Food, the international non-profit association based in Bra; an association that is committed to the enhancement and protection of food products while respecting the environment, culture, tradition and producers. Cheese also allows visitors to discover the dairy chain with the aim of educating proper nutrition to both children and adults, and promoting a more correct and conscious behavior on the consumers’ part towards the environment and society in terms of sustainability.

The biennial cheese fair in 2015 is a special edition as it is the event’s tenth edition.

The exhibition and the dairy market

Photo Credit: RoWεnα

As always, cheeses play the leading role in a dedicated exhibition area that covers over 3,000 square meters with hundreds of sustainable producers, shepherds and cheese makers from various countries around the world.

In the Gran Sala dei Formaggi (Great Hall of Cheese), you’ll find a selection of special products for tasting; while in the streets of Bra you can visit the Presìdi Slow Food: cheeses and indigenous animal breeds that would have become extinct if it were not for the association’s protection.

Through reservations, you can participate in the nutrition education events such as the Tavole Accademiche offered by the University of Gastronomic Sciences and the Laboratori del Gusto (Taste Workshops), designed to teach you how to recognize the quality of food and beverages, while listening to and speaking directly with the producers.

Moreover, families can take part in activities specifically tailored for children, which are also ideal for school trips and educational visits.

Not just cheese

Alongside the cheeses you can take part in courses, shows and conferences dedicated to specialists and enthusiasts. And of course there are food stands where you can purchase Slow Food products from all over the Peninsula.

Next to the Great Hall of Cheese is the Enoteca, where you can taste the best labels from the Pollenzo Wine Bank. In the Piazza dell Pizza the Neapolitan pizza masters prepare the world’s most famous Italian dish, accompanied by beer on tap in the Piazza della Birra, where you’ll find a rich selection of labels among new and classic beers.

If you want to try snacks, light meals or enjoy delicious culinary innovations you’ll find the Street Food stands offering Italian gastronomic products: focaccia bread, piadine, panzerotti, sandwiches and much more.

Its history

Every year the organizers have tried to bring attention to important issues related to the cheese sector; issues that have enabled to develop and improve the productive capacity of some businesses.

For example, during the 1997 edition raw milk was the highlight of the event and considered the essential ingredient for gastronomic specialties; this aspect enabled to favor artisan producers working in their territory and traditional methods.

Subsequently, in 2009, the event’s educational purpose was broadened, by seeking to raise awareness of the entire production chain, from the breeding of the animals to the finished product.

In 2013 an important project for preserving food biodiversity was promoted: l’Arca del Gusto (Ark of Taste). An attempt was made to classify all the traditional products of the world so as to contribute to their preservation.

And finally in 2015, a year of great debate as a result of the EU’s controversial decision to impose the production of cheese made with milk powder in Italy, where Italian legislature forbids such a practice, sees young people who live and work in the mountain pastures and mountain valleys as the event’s focal point.

Useful info

Cheese is a free admission event, which also offers encounters and meetings for a fee and meals, courses and tastings through reservations.

Parking: Viale Nogaris (Gps 44,692094; 7,899697) and corso Monviso (Gps 44,687280; 7,834755) are served by shuttle bus at a cost of 1€.

2015 Schedule