The award-winning artisan cheese changed the story of a couple who left the industry for a farm in MG

Queijaria Velho Pitta, in Itamonte (MG), has transformed the dream of a quiet life in the countryside into award-winning products in Minas Gerais and abroad

In the enclosure of the Velho Pitta farm, in Itamonte, in the south of Minas Gerais, the cows line up calmly, each in its place, as if they know the routine by heart. “They leave, everyone goes to their place. They are already used to it,” says Bianca Lamenha, owner of the dairy.

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More than numbers, each cow has a name. “Our cattle are certified by the IMA, free from tuberculosis and brucellosis. That’s why we have to have earrings with their number. And since I don’t like calling cows by their number, the IMA argues with me. They say: ‘Bianca, you can’t give it a name’. I said: ‘No, but everything here has a name,'” he says, laughing.

The routine starts early, at five in the morning, with the first milking. In the afternoon we start working again. There are 46 animals, of which 27 are dairy cows that produce, on average, from 25 to 28 liters of milk per day. “Today we have 370 litres; but in the dairy tank there are 320, because we feed the calves with milk for up to four months”, explains Bianca.

The production is entirely artisanal, made with raw milk and following the standards of the Selo Queijo Artesanal (SQA), granted by the Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária (IMA). “One of the requirements to obtain the Artisan Cheese Seal is that the structure is free from tuberculosis and brucellosis. This allows it to sell throughout the national territory.”

Bianca explains that Queijo Mantiqueira de Minas – a name that emerged in 2019 after studies by Epamig, Emater and IMA – is the result of the soil, water and altitude of the region: “This study was carried out using soil, water, technical analysis and it was discovered that these 11 municipalities of Mantiqueira de Minas could produce this type of cheese. Here there are 1,600 meters of altitude, so this also makes a difference.”

The set of these characteristics is called by experts ‘terroir’, a French term meaning ‘territory’ and describes the unique set of natural and human factors that influence the characteristics of a product, such as wines, meats and, obviously, cheeses.

Velho Pitta cheese is known for its milder, sweeter flavor. “Our cheese is not acidic, it is even sweet. It is a compact, cooked cheese, very similar to that of Parmesan”, he explains. The difference can also be felt in the maturing: “The more you are maturing, the flavor changes. If you take my fresh cheese and my more mature cheese, I did it the same way. Only one is matured and the other is not. You will see that they are completely different cheeses.”

A couple left the industry to make cheese

But the history of the farm goes beyond technique. Bianca and her husband, Gustavo Pitta, leave their jobs at Furnas Centrais Elétricas to start life in the countryside again. The name of the structure is a tribute to Gustavo’s father, an army vet who dreamed of living far from the city. “When Gustavo retired he said, ‘I’m going to make my father’s dream come true.’ And he bought the property and called it Velho Pitta. Because that’s what he called his father,” Bianca says.

The journey towards cheese was marked by attempts and new beginnings. “He tried with fruit, but it remained in the hands of the middleman and he ended up giving up. Then we went for the lamb, but one day we arrived from Rio and the sheep were going to the slaughter. I was crying and so was he, because the lamb was crying. Then we said: this is not what we want,” he recalls.

That’s when they decided to change course. “The next day we sold all the sheep. So I said, ‘Let’s go and get the milk, because we won’t kill the milk’. We didn’t want pigs or chickens, because we don’t have the courage to kill any animals.”

Award-winning cheeses

The choice worked. Today Velho Pitta cheese has won more than 30 national and international awards. “We received two awards in Cunha, two in Chile and a Super Gold in Peru. And we won the state of Minas Gerais with Ametista cheese in first place,” he says proudly.

Despite the success, the production is still small and family-run. Bianca keeps strict control and even personally delivers the cheeses to customers in Rio de Janeiro. “I take, on average, almost 200 kilos of cheese a month just for private individuals,” he says.

Dedication is the secret of the house. “I think it’s about doing it with love and quality. Caring about the consumer, about our employees”, summarizes Bianca, who today divides her time between the dairy, looking after the herd and the dream of strengthening the tradition of artisanal Mantiqueira de Minas cheese.

*The journalist traveled to Itamonte and São Tomé das Letras at the invitation of the Secretariat of Culture and Tourism (Secult) of the Government of the State of Minas Gerais.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.