Cape Town - Authentic handmade mozzarella, using milk with exactly the right acidity, available in many appealing shapes, well describes Puglia Cheese’s delectable products which have attracted local and international awards.
When I found out that Davide Ostuni and Fabio Fatelli both came from Puglia, I googled the region to find out more: Their home province is one of several that occupies the long narrow peninsula in the far south-east of Italy. It boasts an extraordinary history, a long coastline edging two seas, and a dry climate suitable for producing salad ingredients, citrus and almonds.
Unsurprising, then, that when Davide first visited South Africa he fell in love with both Cape Town and his future wife Ursula. They left to work in the UK and Europe in the early 1990s, where, among other pursuits, Signor Ostuni opened a small chain of restaurants in London, started a fashion store and even did some modelling.
“That was before I put on weight,” he says.
Back in Cape Town, along with restaurateur and friend Fatelli, the Ostunis naturally turned to catering and food when contemplating a new business. Finding that much of the local mozzarella was not authentic – it should be white and moist and not turn to plastic on cold pizza! – they called on another expatriate to join the team. Enter mozzarella maestro Cosimo Rotolo, and Puglia Cheese was born. Rotolo insists on using milk with the correct level of acidity to produce top quality mozzarella. This is not always easy to find; but, as he does not want to introduce additives, he sources his milk from a wide range of farms. The team hopes to get into partnership soon with small farmers who will accept prescribed conditions for milk production.
This expert makes his cheese by hand, which takes longer, but allows him to fashion the mozzarella in a greater number of shapes. These include the traditional balls or fior de latte, and nodini or little knots.
His scamorsa is egg-shaped and his caciovalla resembles a snowman, while Puglia burrata – that irresistible ball filled with soft ripped mozzarella macerated in double cream – was voted the SA Dairy champion cheese in 2011 and last year and attracted bronze at the World Cheese awards held in Birmingham in 2011.
The southern Italian village tradition of producing soft creamy caciotta is being continued at the Cape, selling as Primo Fiore, or first flower, a versatile product for blending with other ingredients.
Puglia Cheese is produced on the Zevenwacht wine estate in Kuils River, where the shop is open seven days a week. They can also be found at the new food market at Nobel Square in the V&A Waterfront.
Cheese fest simply fab
Visitors to the 2013 SA Cheese Festival could look beyond camembert, gouda, blue and cheddar to unearth a treasury of regional, traditional and innovative cheeses.
Along with the cheese stalls, a wide variety of savoury and sweet goodies will be on hand, adding up to portable feasts that can be savoured by moonlight or by day.
Celebrated foodies, including Nataniel, will show off their skills by cooking with cheese.
If you would like to pair your cheese with one of the wines on show, buy a glass for R15.
Children will be well catered for at the milk factory where cows, goats and sheep will be housed, while games and making stokbrood are also on the junior menu.
The festival will take place at Sandringham off the N1 outside Stellenbosch, from 10am to 10pm on Friday, April 26, from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, April 28.
Tickets cost R115 for adults, R90 for senior citizens, and children under 14 enter for free. No tickets will be sold at the gate. Go to Computicket, Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper or House & Home. For more info, see www.cheesefestival.co.za or e-mail [email protected] or call Agri-Expo on 021 975 4440. - Sunday Argus