Guided tours and tastings in the dairies of Calabria

Among the dairies of Calabria, those in the province of Cosenza and Catanzaro draw on the freshness of the Sila pastures to produce some of the most popular Calabrian cheeses. Raised and fed on the green meadows of the Sila National Park, the herds produce a first‑class, aromatic milk, which is used to make one of Calabria’s most irresistible dairy products: the distinctively sweet Caciocavallo Silano PDO. Nothing beats a taste of grilled Caciocavallo Silano after a day of trekking or horse riding in the woods, served on a slice of toasted homemade bread with a glass of local wine, in one of the many Calabrian dairies open to visitors. Here are some of the dairies in Cosenza and its hinterland that offer tastings, guided tours and educational farm experiences – recreational activities for young and old alike:

• The Caseificio Paese in Spezzano della Sila (in the Camigliatello Silano ski resort area) offers daily visits to the milking parlours during milking hours and the dairy to see the milk processing stages, including a tasting. Schoolchildren can participate in educational workshops on milking, calf feeding and mozzarella and ricotta making.
• Fattoria Didattica Biò, in Casali del Manco (in the district of Serra Pedace), offers dairy-themed activities for children, with milking and herding, plus a day on the farm for adults.
• In Montalto Uffugo, there are two different educational farms, Fattoria Didattica La Locanda dei Cocomeri and Fattoria Didattica Garrafa, which respectively offer an educational tour of the dairy and its biogas production, and school tours at the livestock farm.
• The Fattoria Didattica Masseria Fonte di Maroglio, in Castrovillari, at the foot of the Pollino National Park, offers a "School on the Farm" experience with shearing and milking workshops.

One of the dairies in Catanzaro and its hinterland that offers an immersive day out is the Fattoria Didattica Rotiroti. In Cardinale, this facility welcomes guests to experience the entire milk production and processing chain.

Anyone passing through the Crotone district of the Sila mountains and the city of Crotone itself should definitely try an outstanding Calabrian dairy product: the renowned Pecorino di Crotone PDO. One of the world's most celebrated cheese brands, Pecorino Crotonese PDO combines the scent and flavour of the Sila mountain with the splendid sea breeze essences of the Costa dei Saraceni. This hard, semi-cooked cheese is made exclusively from whole sheep's milk. The flocks graze on the Sila mountain pastures from September to June, producing fresh, aromatic milk, to which goat rennet paste is added. After salting, the typical basket-shaped wheels are left to mature for between 60 and 90 days in partially ventilated cellars or sandstone caves.

One of the dairies in Crotone and in the Marchesato that invites visitors to discover the production process, taste typical cheeses, and buy them is the Masseria De Tursi. Located in Strongoli (Murgie district), in one of the province's most interesting and evocative SCIs (Sites of Community Importance), it continues to practice the age-old rural sheep farming traditions and grazing practices. Guided tours with tastings may be arranged by reservation.

Another type of Calabrian pecorino known throughout the world is the excellent Pecorino del Monte Poro PDO, made with first-choice milk from the pastures of Monte Poro, in the province of Vibo Valentia. The mountain where it is produced boasts one of the most evocative peaks in the district, with a particular microclimate sustained by its position overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Coast of the Gods. These are the qualities that make Pecorino del Poro unmistakable: a sheep's milk cheese to which kid or lamb rennet is added, available fresh (aged 20 to 60 days), semi-mature (2 to 6 months), and mature (6 to 24 months). 

We wind up our journey through the dairies of Calabria with a visit to the dairies of Reggio Calabria and the Aspromonte National Park, where an authentic rarity is produced, a well-established brand and member of the Slow Food Praesidium and PAT (Traditional Agri-Food Product) initiatives. This is the renowned Caprino d'Aspromonte, an aromatic cheese made from kid curd. When ready, the cheese is packaged in the typical fuscèlle reed baskets, where it is pressed by hand and finally decorated with ancient Greek agro-pastoral symbols that distinguish it as a true work of art. Another flagship product of the Calabrian dairies in this province is the Caciocavallo di Ciminà, a Slow Food Praesidium.

Ciminà is a Locride municipality where a "two-headed" caciocavallo is produced: a small, elongated cheese, which is coagulated with raw cow's milk, almost always with natural kid rennet. Caciocavallo di Ciminà is eaten very fresh, within a few days of production, and is perfect for melting on the grill. In the province of Reggio Calabria, you can book guided tours with tastings in some of the excellent Calabrian dairies:

• Barone Macrì, in Gerace ( Contrada Modi district), is one of the most renowned farms in the sector, offering guided tours with tastings and the option of overnight stays in an "agritourismo" with a restaurant. It breeds semi-wild Italian Friesian cattle, Sardinian sheep and Maltese goats, with the aim of producing a wide variety of cheeses, including goat's milk yoghurt.
• Sapori Antichi d'Aspromonte, in Canolo, is one of the dairies in Calabria that offers an educational programme for children and teenagers with the option of lunch in the adjoining grill.
• Fattoria Didattica Masseria della Piana, in the Candidoni  countryside, specialises in the "Milk Trail" and offers the opportunity to visit the farm and the adjoining biogas plant, participate in educational workshops and have lunch at the on-site restaurant.