Grana Padano PDO “Riserva over 24 months
Grana Padano PDO ‘Riserva’ over 24 months and Mostarda Veneta made with apples and candied fruit
Mostarda Veneta is a recipe of ancient tradition, made using quinces, apple puree, candied fruit in varying proportions (orange and lemon, glucose-fructose syrup, sulphur dioxide) and, mustard, as natural flavouring.
On the nose, it has a fruity aroma of baked apple and a strong citrus note; on the palate, its structure is reminiscent of a sweet puree accompanied by a pleasant piquancy; these characteristics make it extraordinarily balanced and suitable for pairing with cheeses, even those aged for long periods, such as Grana Padano ‘Riserva’ aged for over 24 months.
The value of this combination lies in the balance of spiciness that characterises – albeit with different intensities – the two products. From an aromatic point of view, the citrus notes of orange and lemon offer a slightly refreshing sensation, adding balance to such an ‘important’ cheese, while from a tactile point of view, the apple puree is capable of enveloping the cheese’s coarse, grainy texture, favourably accompanying it in the mouth and enhancing the tasting experience.
Grana Padano PDO ‘Riserva’ over 24 months and Mantuan yellow onion mostarda.
Mostardare, or making mostarda, is an extremely fine art that very few master, especially when it comes to vegetables; however, within rural families and in the culture of the Mantuan countryside, the ability to preserve produce throughout the year was an essential and vital practice, so the techniques of this processing were refined.
One of the vegetables grown, onions, can be stored for a long time, but sometimes nature wakes up and so, when they begin to sprout, they are no longer ideal for use in cooking. Therefore, the onion is cut into leaf-like slices and cooked, then used to make mostarda.
Onion mostarda is usually golden yellow in colour (there is also a dark purplish-red variant), tending towards coppery due to the caramelisation process, carried out using caster or cane sugar.
The aroma of this type of mostarda is clearly reminiscent of caramelised onions, while the sweet onion note is perceived on the palate; the tactile structure and aromatic notes of the vegetable remain prominent and clearly distinguishable.
This is a somewhat sophisticated pairing, for lovers of strong flavours, characterised by a pleasant confrontation between two products of great character.
The sweetness and the aroma of caramelised onion holds their own against the savoury component and the intensity and gustatory and olfactory complexity of the Grana Padano ‘Riserva’, aged for over 24 months.
From a tactile point of view, both products have evident, clearly perceptible structures that alternate in the mouth during chewing. Even after tasting, the taste-olfactory persistence is prolonged without one prevailing over the other.
We suggest that each consumer carefully dose the proportions to find the right balance to suit their taste.