Gran Kinara Cheese

Fiandino farm is located in the province of Cuneo, Piemonte. Though they descend from a long line of shepherds, cousins Mario and Egidio only recently revived the traditional use of thistle rennet. Inspired by their grandfather, they use wild thistle to coagulate their cheeses, a practice rarely seen with cow’s milk. Their artful cheesemaking combined with their love for their animals (a herd of Bruna Alpina cows), and sensibility for green energy (about 1/3 of it provided by solar power).

Milk is collected from their herd of 250 Bruna Alpina cows and local dairies to produce this special one year aged raw milk cheese. What sets it apart is the use of thistle rennet, a practice rare in the cheese world but even less common for aged cheeses. It makes for a wonderful vegetarian friendly alternative to other grana styles, such as Grana Padano.

INGREDIENTS: Raw cow's milk, Trapani sea salt, thistle flower