Italian Cheesemaker Finds a Home in Texas
You love cheese. But you find the store-bought Ricotta in a white plastic container from the grocery a little sad, and a slice from that ancient brick of Asiago melted onto your sandwich feels lackluster. It’s time for you to meet Andrea Cudin of Lira Rossa.
Cudin began selling cheese from his Italian creamery in Victoria, TX, in early 2013 and has been opening Texans’ eyes to incredible, and somewhat unknown, Italian cheeses ever since. The story goes like this: An Italian man, from the northeastern alpine region of Italy follows his wife to Texas and promptly discovers none of his beloved cheeses are there. “We moved to Victoria in 2012. I first realized there was no cheese like I had in Italy. The second realization, which took longer, was that there was no work for me in Victoria,” said Cudin. “But having fresh cheese was the first reason why all of this [the creamery] started.”
To make Texas feel more like home, Cudin needed to bring his childhood cheeses to the Lone Star State. “My memories of being in a creamery and the smell of the whey are some of my very first memories of my childhood. I started making cheese when I was 40 but cheese has always been a part of my life.”
Cudin knew he need to make his own cheeses, but quickly found limitations to his homemade cheese. “If you’re making cheese at home, you realize that making cheese at home will never bring you the result of the cheese made in a creamery. There are limits to the sizes you can make, how much milk you can work and how you age it.” So, he started thinking bigger, and when it became clear he wasn’t finding work in his new home state, starting the creamery was fully justified. “The idea of getting a creamery was not just a business idea, though.” He knew that “it was the way I could get the cheese I was looking for.”
Lira Rossa Creamery is located onsite at Four E Dairy in Lavaca County. They source all of their milk from the dairy, and Cudin swears by the quality. “We’re located on the farm, and this is how the whole business was built. They traded the space for us and in exchange we buy their milk exclusively.”
Cudin feels the quality of the milk has helped him achieve the high quality of cheeses he’s been aiming for. “I went to Italy this summer and met with cheesemakers and friends and brought samples of our cheeses. For the first time in two years since we opened I can tell you that the quality [of our cheese] is what we’re looking for. Our Latteria is outstanding compared to the cheeses made in Italy and our Cacciota is way better!” he said. “That’s not because of me—but because of the milk.”
Starting to make cheese from scratch was a challenging process, and there were a lot of bumps in the road. “Cheesemaking isn’t just a process that follows instructions. You are dealing with living things, so you are more of a shepherd in which you are trying to guide these living things that you can’t see to do the things that you would like for them to do,” he said.
And after the cheesemaking, comes the aging—a crucial step. “[Aging] was and still is the biggest issue here in Texas, to try and re-create the air and temperature of a mountain environment in the south of Texas. You need fresh, cool air and high level of humidity.” Cudin has worked over the years to carefully construct a location and method for aging the cheese well. “We have a special room that stays between 50 and 60° and a humidity of 80%. But that is a constant struggle and something that we keep monitored. It requires a lot of work on our side,” Cudin said.
His favorite cheese is the Latteria. “All of our [cheeses] have been made because of the Latteria.” When asked how he likes it, he said, “I like it just plain. Sometimes I don’t even use bread on the side.” He said that traditionally, however, you serve Latteria on a plate with prosciutto, bread and a glass of wine or beer.
And while these cheeses might all sound very foreign, they may not be as strange as you expect. Fresh Asiago and the Latteria are sister cheeses, according to Cudin. “They are from similar regions, and they have similar flavor, appearance and texture. They’re really closely related.” So, if you love Asiago it might be time you try the Latteria. When was the last time you had locally made Asiago?
While it’s taken time and lots of samples, Cudin has a growing audience for the Latteria cheese. “When we started the market in Houston, we barely sold any Latteria. Now it is by far the cheese we sell the most of!”
So if you love trying new cheeses, make sure to stop by the Urban Harvest farmers market on Saturdays between 8am and 1pm to buy some of Cudin’s show-stopping Latteria, Ricotta and other cheeses! Or swing by Houston Dairymaids, Katerra Exotics in Katy, or enjoy their cheese in dishes at Sud Italia in Rice Village.
For more information visit http://www.lirarossa.com/
