Giolito Formaggi
Four-generation family cheese shop in the historic centre of Bra, working as an affineur with its own ageing cells and cellar. It favours raw-milk cheeses and small producers.
About Raschera
A pressed, semi-fat cheese of cow's milk with small optional additions of sheep or goat milk, used raw or after a sanitising treatment. It is made in two shapes: round, 30 to 40 cm across and 5 to 9 kg, and square, 28 to 40 cm a side and 6 to 10 kg. Qualigeo traces it to a fifteenth-century lease from Pamparato naming the Raschera pasture. Made and aged above 900 m it is labelled d'Alpeggio, with deeper yellow paste.
Made in: The whole province of Cuneo and the commune of Villafranca Piemonte in Turin province; d'Alpeggio above 900 m in nine named communes
On the plate
Delicate, fragrant and moderately piquant, savoury when aged. The d'Alpeggio has a full, complex and lasting taste with aromas of mountain herbs and summer flowers, from the fresh forage.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Raschera
Barbera d'Asti Piedmont
Our pickRaschera is delicate and only moderately piquant, savoury when aged. Barbera d'Asti's high acidity lifts the supple ivory paste, and its moderate tannin leaves the mild, fragrant flavour of the cheese intact.
The grapes behind these winesBarbera
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Latteria Bera
Turin dairy shop three minutes from Piazza Castello, taken over in 1958 by Romola and her sisters Marta and Bruna and run by her granddaughter Chiara since 2016. It sells Piedmontese specialities and DOP cheeses, and hosts booked tastings in the shop.
Borgiattino Formaggi
Cheese and wine shop under the arcades of Corso Vinzaglio since 1927, known for Piedmontese cheeses such as Castelmagno, Raschera and robiola, alongside Italian and foreign ones.
Cheese experiences nearby
Cheese, Slow Food's cheese festival in Bra
Slow Food's biennial fair of raw-milk cheeses fills the centre of Bra with artisan producers, tastings, workshops and talks. The 2025 edition was the fifteenth.
Cheese Tasting at Giolito
Guided walk through the shop's cold counter, workshop, ageing rooms and the ageing cellar, which holds a small cheese museum, then a tasting in a dedicated room. For larger summer groups a tent can be set up in the courtyard. Contact the shop to reserve.
Castelmagno at the table at La Meiro
The farm's locanda serves Castelmagno in its different types and ageings, and gnocchi al Castelmagno are always on the daily menu, in the valley where the cheese is made. Opening is seasonal.
Cellars and tasting at Guffanti
Cellar visits and a guided tasting route at the Arona ageing house, by reservation. Private tastings in dedicated rooms pair its cheeses with bread and wine; English-language visits are available on booking.
Visit to the Valcasotto ageing cellars
Booked visit to the rock cellars of an alpine hamlet where cheeses rest on twelve kinds of wood, with a company shop on site. Cheeses include Castelmagno di Alpeggio and the Cusiè range.
Tasting in the shop at Latteria Bera
Shop tasting of boards of cheeses and cured meats with handmade bread, grissini rubatà and a glass of wine, with panna and zabaione as an option. Book at least a day ahead.
Raschera: questions
Is Raschera round or square?
Both exist. Qualigeo describes a round form 30 to 40 cm across and a square form 28 to 40 cm a side, both with flat faces.
What is Raschera d'Alpeggio?
Raschera made and aged above 900 m in nine defined communes; its paste is a deeper yellow and smells of herbs and summer flowers, per Qualigeo.
When was Raschera first protected?
Italy recognised Raschera as a denominazione di origine by presidential decree on 16 December 1982, and the EU registered it as a DOP in 1996.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Piedmont
Plan the trip
Visit Raschera country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Booking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: protection register, www.qualigeo.eu, it.wikipedia.org. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.