Cheese Database

Raschera vs Toma

Raschera

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Italy
Place
Piedmont
Status
PDO

Raschera is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Italy, pressed into wheels that may be square or round. It belongs to the mountain dairy tradition of Piedmont, where herds feed on alpine grass. The paste is firm and elastic, ivory to pale straw, with a scattering of tiny holes. A thin natural rind runs from gray to a reddish tone, sometimes with a yellow cast. The name is protected.

Toma

Facts

Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Italy

Toma is a family of Italian pressed cheeses, not one wheel with a single fixed recipe. The name covers rustic rounds with a natural rind, a pale interior, and a mild to nutty flavor that depends on age and the maker. Most are firm enough to slice, and some grow harder and more savory as they mature. Italy is the home of the style, and dairies use the word for this kind of cheese. It is a table cheese and a cooking cheese, not a fresh spread.