EN
C 18/22
Official Journal of the European Union
19.1.2023
However, with the decline in the value of wool, milk and cheese production became more and more important, transforming the production of ‘Torta del Casar’ into an essential adjunct to the local economy.
(c)
Human factors The specific character of ‘Torta del Casar’ has been preserved as a result of natural factors, historical and economic factors and human factors, in the form of the master cheese-maker.
Despite the changes that the production process has undergone, as the practice of making cheeses for home consumption on sheep farms alongside the flocks has given way to today’s cheese dairies designed to meet new requirements and market demands, the master cheese-maker has remained an essential figure, as there is still a need for their special knowledge of the raw materials, processes and desired result for the production of ‘Torta del Casar’.
It should be noted that the master cheese-maker controls multiple variables which require particular expertise for the following reasons: — Working with raw, whole, non-standardised milk produced at various times of the year means that the composition and bacteriology of the milk can vary considerably, affecting the entire process. — The use of natural Cynara cardunculus that has not been extracted or standardised makes the coagulation stage particularly complex and decisive for optimal curd formation. — The decision as to when to cut the curd and how big the resulting grains should be is influenced by the above factors and is taken on the basis of experience. — Moulding by hand and pressing are processes which require an exact knowledge of how much curd to put in each mould and how much pressure to apply to attain the required moisture content. — As a result of the many environmental changes that occur over the course of the year and affect the maturing process, the cheese requires constant monitoring to make sure that it is developing correctly.
It is only with a knowledge of these factors that it is possible to achieve intense proteolysis, a process involving the breakdown of the milk proteins, which, when it occurs before the rind is fully formed, gives ‘Torta del Casar’ its characteristic texture and shape.
5.2.
Specificity of the product The specific characteristics which distinguish ‘Torta del Casar’ from other cheeses are its creamy texture, its characteristic slightly bitter taste and its unusual shape, which is reminiscent of a torta de pan [bread pudding cake] – it is wider than it is tall, with rounded, convex sides and almost no edges.
The way in which the cheese is consumed also differs from other cheeses, because the top of the cheese has to be sliced off like a lid to get at the cheese without it oozing out.
The ‘lid’ should be replaced for storage.
5.3.
Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI) Because the geographical area has few natural resources as a result of the characteristics set out in section 5.1(a), the inhabitants have centred their economy around livestock farming, specifically sheep, as they are well-adapted to the geographical environment.
They are reared for milk and cheese production, because of the decline in the value of wool.
The hardy and adaptable merino and entrefino sheep have become perfectly acclimatised to the semi-steppe-like plains of the geographical area, producing milk which, because it is processed without undergoing heat treatment of any kind, retains all the diverse bacterial flora acquired as a result of the farming method.
This gives the cheese its characteristic ‘lactic’ and/or ‘vegetal’ aromas.
Similarly, the unusual shape that is characteristic of ‘Torta del Casar’ is due to the unusual way in which it is matured, which makes it impossible to maintain the shape that is traditional for other cheeses.