PRODUCTION AREA

Carnia, high Friuli.

ORIGINS

The need was to preserve an otherwise perishable product such as ricotta. One of the methods available to accomplish this goal was to smoke the product. Smoking, in addition to its natural preservative function, adds flavor and color to the product.

PRODUCTION METHOD

Fresh ricotta is obtained through a traditional method. It is placed in special juta bags that are used to press it, drain the whey, and make it gain its characteristic cone shape, with the knot imprint visible on the top. At this point, we proceed with the smoking process, placing the ricotta rounds on special racks that are introduced in smoke houses fed by various types of wood.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

It is important to make a distinction between:

• SCUETE FUMADE DI MONT (Smoked “malga” ricotta), which is a product obtained from summer pastures; therefore, from a milk that is much richer and aromatic and smoked right from the home chimney. The “Scuete” obtained has smoked skin and soft and buttery milk texture.
• SCUETE FUMADE (smoked ricotta) produced in traditional diaries with aromatic characteristics varying depending on the place of production; it differs from the other ricotta type because it is generally thinner. Production Schedule: the one from the pastures is produced from June to September, while the one from the dairy is produced all year long.

TASTING

It is widely used in the kitchen, grated on pasta, gnocchi or traditional cjarsons, but it is very good also as is, perhaps seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil or accompanied by fresh tomatoes. It is worth trying it, especially the pasture one, fried with some good butter or in fondue, to which it gives a delicate smoke aroma.

WHAT TO DRINK

Depending on how it is offered and on what you have in the cellar, as long as you enjoy it!