Formadi Frant
Formadi Frant is formed by a mixture of cut up dairy cheese with various maturation periods, produced in Carnia, with addition of salt, pepper, cream, and milk. It has a cylindrical shape, 10cm of height, and an average diameter of 30-40cm; the texture has a dark yellow color, a marked and slightly spicy taste with a sweet-spicy contrast. The preparation of Formadi Frant is one of the most ancient traditions of Carnia. In the past, it represented a system to recover and preserve cheese that had defects or alterations for which, otherwise, it would have been necessary to eat it rapidly. The elderly interviewed remember the processing method of this product; however, since Formadi Frant was prepared for a family consumption, there are no documents on this issues, although the cheese is mentioned in several cooking books of Friuli. The ingredients used to prepare it are dairy cheese produced in Carnia, salt, pepper, cream, and milk. Dairy cheese must be characterized by different maturation periods (cheese with a maturation lasting 40 and 90-100 days and cheese with a maturation of over 7 months). They are cut up into slices, small cubes, and flakes, and mixed. Then salt, pepper, and milk are added to the mixture, which is handmade. In order to amalgamate the mixture and obtain a soft product, cream is added. When the product has became smooth, it is wrapped up in clothes and put into molds (wooden or steel cheese molds) for a 40-day maturation period in the cellar at a temperature of 10-12°C and a relative humidity of 70%. In some areas there is also the habit to preserve the product in glass jars, where it is put immediately after the mixing. It is usually prepared in kitchens with sanitary authorization and separated maturation premises which are maintained cool.
