Latteria Turnaria di Campolessi
Turnaria dairy of 1908 working about 20 quintals of raw milk a day, around 30 wheels, from nearby farms. Its Latteria has been a Slow Food presidium since 2013. The shop opens daily except Sunday.
About Formaggio salato
A soft cow's milk cheese made savoury by its time in brine. The Latteria turnaria di Campolessi sells it as a soft-paste cheese without visible eyes, from white to pale yellow. Wikipedia's article on the Val d'Arzino calls the formadi salat a soft cheese given its sapidity by brine marinating, and the same article describes the balote, a polenta ball filled with cheese and cooked on embers. The cheese is on the Friuli-Venezia Giulia list of traditional agri-food products.
Made in: Friulian mountains; Val d'Arzino and Carnia are the places the sources name
On the plate
Salty by design, with a soft paste and no eyes; the colour runs from white to pale yellow, per Latteria di Campolessi. Wikipedia calls it a soft cheese made savoury by brine marinating.
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Formaggio salato
Carso Terrano Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Our pickFormaggio salato is soft and made savoury by brine. A Carso Terrano, medium-bodied with racy acidity, dark berry fruit and only medium tannin, cuts the salt and refreshes the palate between bites.
Malvasia Istriana Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Our pickFormaggio salato is soft and made savoury by brine, so it wants a white with acidity. A dry Malvasia Istriana has stone fruit, a saline edge and enough freshness to balance the salt.
The grapes behind these winesMalvasia IstrianaTerrano
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Spaccio Caseificio Alto But, Tolmezzo
The Tolmezzo shop of the Alto But cooperative, selling its cheeses and smoked ricotta beside cjarsons, frico, biscotti, honey, jams and smoked trout from Sutrio. Closed Sundays.
Latteria di Coderno, Udine (Chiavris) shop
The Udine outlet of the Coderno dairy, at Piazza Medaglie d'Oro 12 in the Chiavris district, selling its Montasio, Latteria, ricotta and mozzarella beside Friulian specialities. Closed Sundays.
Latteria di Cividale, Via Europa shop
One of two Cividale shops of the Latteria Sociale, selling Montasio DOP, the dairy's cheeses, fresh ricotta and butter direct from the producer, open mornings Monday to Saturday, with staff advice on pairings.
Latteria di Coderno, Codroipo shop
The Codroipo outlet of the Coderno cooperative, selling Montasio, Latteria and ricotta from its own dairy, open mornings Monday to Saturday and afternoons Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Montasio consortium has its seat in the same town.
Cheese experiences nearby
Gemona, formaggio e... dintorni
Gemona's autumn cheese fair, in its 25th edition in 2026, held in the historic centre to showcase the area's cheese production, with food and wine stands, tastings and producers from outside the region.
Festa della Ricotta Friulana, Mortegliano
Three-day festival centred on the dairy: guided dairy visits and milk-production demonstrations, tastings, children's activities, and lunch and dinner stands serving km-0 dishes of Friulian ricotta, the dairy's cheeses and polenta from Blave di Mortean.
Guided visit to Caseificio Alto But
A guided visit to the dairy workshop to see milk turned into cheese, then through the ageing rooms, ending with a tasting of the finished products. The dairy offers it to schools and cheese enthusiasts.
Dairy products and farm visit at Malga Montasio
At this summer mountain dairy on the Montasio plateau you can buy and taste its own cheese and dairy products, eat at the agriturismo and, per Turismo FVG, watch the morning milking and meet the cheesemaker. Closed in autumn and winter.
Frico cooking class at Spolert Winery
A hands-on frico workshop at Spolert, a small Colli Orientali winery specialising in Schioppettino, taught in Italian and ending with the dish paired with wines and local products.
Formaggio salato: questions
What is formaggio salato?
A soft cow's milk cheese without eyes, white to pale yellow, that gets its savour from brine, per Latteria di Campolessi and Wikipedia.
Is it the same as Asino?
Not the same cheese, but Wikipedia calls the Asìno a soft cheese similar to the salted cheese of Carnia.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Plan the trip
Visit Formaggio salato country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Prosciutto Ham Factory Visit & Lunch Tasting near Udine
All 273 experiences in Friuli-Venezia GiuliaBooking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: latteriacampolessi.it, it.wikipedia.org. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.