Italian Made in Texas
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Lira Rossa Artisan Cheese (how long does cheese last?)handcrafts a variety of Italian cheese (What wine goes well with cheese?) on a family farm in Moulton. The cheeses made at Lira Rossa are from recipes completely and solely based on traditions in Italy that have been locally adapted to the conditions at hand in Texas.
A question to ponder on: where would the world’s cuisine be without the sumptuous and versatile artisan cheeses of Italy? Most people are familiar with a couple of Italian everyday cheeses. But in reality, there are about 400+ different types of Italian cheese to be discovered and to work on the kitchen with. Luckily for the Texan community, Lira Rossa offers 7 kinds of cheese — not to mention that they’re just a call (or an e-mail) away.
Getting to Know Lira Rossa
It was around 2013 in Victoria that Andrea Cudin, owner and founder of Lira Rossa, started making cheese at home because he could not find the flavors he grew up with. Hailing from Italy, Andrea moved to the United States in 2012.
During those years, he went back and forth to Italy a few times to work in a creamery to be able to perfect the recipes he wanted. The business started as just a hobby at home, which took a few years to develop and to be put together. It was in 2016, with this wife Jillian, that they were finally able to open their creamery in Moulton.
Their journey wasn’t as easy as ABC. The couple had to go through a lot just to be able to put up their Lira Rossa. It came to a point where the couple themselves doubted if they were still going to be able to put up their creamery because of several start-up concerns. These included the creamery’s equipment, production facility, transporting the milk, and disposing of the whey — all leading to financial constraints. They did not know how to finance it, nor they could figure out all the rules that were supposed to be followed.
It was when the couple got into an agreement with Four E Dairy that the project started shedding some light. They met the farmers (who had outstanding milk) and who were also familiar with the entire regulation. The farmers helped in building the creamery for Andrea and Jillian, in exchange for using their milk exclusively for Lira Rossa.
Italian Cheese-Making Tradition
Simple artisanal procedures from centuries’ old tradition and working directly with local farmers are what sets them apart from other artisan cheese producers in the state.
The creamery is sourcing milk directly and exclusively from the Four E Dairy farm. The farm has a raw milk permit which implies that their milk is of extremely high quality. Quality and handcrafted cheeses such as Lira Rossa’s are usually produced in small batches directly at the farm as it is vital to create a natural connection with the source of the milk. Such a tradition and practice is inspired by small creameries found in Northern Italy where Andrea grew up in.
If you want to know more about the latest raw milk regulations, check out this link.
Lira Rossa’s Seasonal Challenges
Since the creamery is working with raw milk, they are always exposed to seasonality. Different temperatures, different food for the cows (specifically in the peak of summer and winter when there is less grass available in the pasture), and different animal behavior all make the milk different — Lira Rossa needs to be resilient enough to play along.
The process and procedure of making raw milk cheese sure have a routine, but the routine slightly varies from season to season, given the varying conditions. Also factor in that the kind of cheese that the creamery is producing is typical of that of an alpine environment which is totally different in the south of Texas. While it’s over 100 degrees outside, the cheese cave needs to feel like the basement of a house up in the mountains specifically cool temperature and high humidity.
There are also challenges acquainted with aged cheese. It takes several months before finally being able to evaluate the quality of a batch. In the beginning, it took Andrea a lot of patience to wait at least 3 months to figure out if changes were necessary and to re-evaluate the process and procedure.
Best-Selling Cheeses
Andrea particularly finds how their creamery has already affected the community attitude (very similar to Northern Italy’s) where everybody has a strong opinion about how old the cheese is supposed to be. Lira Rossa sells Latteria at 3 months, Fresco at 6 months, and Mezzano at 9+ months.
Their customers have learned to love their Latteria, a simple, extremely versatile cheese. It’s also an Italian alpine-style cheese with its recipe dating back as far as the 12th century!
The kinds of cheese they produce vary in texture and sharpness but still remain the same cheese. Caciotta is a young, mild cheese that is very popular especially in the rosemary version. Fresh Ricotta, made out of whey, is very popular with both direct customers and restaurants. A lot of Italians come to the market particularly for their ricotta, because it is the only authentic Italian cheese within the area.
The best use for Lira Rossa cheese is eating it by itself — It’s that good. Although if that is “plain” or “too much cheese” for you, then maybe you can pair it with a piece of an artisanal sourdough or a cracker with no added flavors.
Mozzarella is great for pizza and Caprese salad (What wine goes well with caprese salad?) (as always). Caciotta and Latteria do well when grated on pasta. Ricotta is sought after specifically for fried zucchini flowers and lasagne. Latteria at 3 and 6 months does its magic on a burger.
Andrea’s personal favorite is Latteria because it’s the cheese he grew up with. Other times Fresco (aged 3 months), some other time Mezzano (aged 6 months). It depends on the mood of the day!
Where to Catch Lira Rossa
The creamery is located in the Four E Dairy farm right next to the milking parlor. They do deliver the cheese within the area.
You can also visit them in the following farmers markets and stores:
Urban Harvest Farmers Market (Houston)
Montrose Cheese and Wine (Houston)
Henderson and Kane General Store (Houston)
Provisions Market & Bistro (Wharton)
Brazos Valley Cheese Store (Waco)
The COVID-19 Impact
Lira Rossa is looking at expanding its reach — mostly, this is a logistic problem and it would require some additional investment. The idea was driven by Andrea’s belief that the COVID-19 crisis has created more space for locally sourced products. Experiencing it first hand, the couple has seen and witnessed a surge in their sales in farmers markets and small grocery stores.
Producers and retailers now need to work to address the growing demand for products made in Texas, as well as the rest of the US. Supporting the local economy and having access to where and how the food is made seems to be more and more important.
