Gravina Pallone

Slow Food Presidium

Italy

Puglia

Milk and milk products

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Gravina Pallone

The tradition of this semi-hard stretched-curd cow’s milk cheese dates back to the era of the seasonal livestock migration, the transhumance, when flocks and herds of thousands of animals were taken along the Puglian trails. In past centuries, Gravina was one of the most important stops along the Bradanico-Tarantino trail, running from Melfi to Castellaneta. The town boasted an important cheesemaking tradition. The name Pallone comes from the cheese’s ball (palla) shape, which was designed to make it easy to tie the cheese in pairs and transport them on the backs of donkeys during the transhumance, or hang them in tuff caves for aging.
The cheese is mentioned in an agricultural encyclopedia from 1859, but these days few people know what Pallone is. The name has fallen into disuse, even locally, and the cheese is often confused with ordinary Caciocavallo. Only a few dairies in Gravina still make Pallone, whose weight can vary from one to ten kilos. Very few farms can guarantee a constant supply of quality milk, suitable for processing raw.

Season

Gravina Pallone is made from January to March

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The Presidium involves two small dairies that work with raw milk and do not use enzymes during the cheesemaking process. Their milk comes from farms around Gravina where the cows are raised in a semi-wild state.

Production area
Gravina di Puglia, Bari Province

Presidium supported by: Alta Murgia National Park
Producers

Caseificio De Rosa
Via Milano, 30
Gravina in Puglia (Ba)
Tel. +39 348 3538734
caseificioderosa@tiscali.it
The dairy processes milk from the farm of
of Giampiero Berardi of Ruvo di Puglia (Ba).

Tarantino Brothers Dairy
Via Giardini, 92
Gravina in Puglia (Ba)
Tel. +39 338 9963227
tarantinosnc@libero.it
The dairy works with milk from the farms Vito Difonzo from Santeremo in Colle (Ba) and Giordano from Altamura (Ba)

Stella Dicecca Dairy
Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 11
Altamura (Ba)
Tel. +39 333 8313778-338 7700130
info@stelladicecca.it
The milk comes from All.Ca.No in Mottola (Ta)

Masseria La Ghianda
of Antonio Digregorio
Contrada Cassano, 34
Santeramo In Colle (Ba)
Tel. +39 320 8691155
masserialaghianda@gmail.com

Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Angelantonio Tafuno
Tel. +39 333 8313778
info@stelladicecca.it

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Nicola Curci
Tel. +39 347 6527228
info@nicolacurci.com
The Presidium involves two small dairies that work with raw milk and do not use enzymes during the cheesemaking process. Their milk comes from farms around Gravina where the cows are raised in a semi-wild state.

Production area
Gravina di Puglia, Bari Province

Presidium supported by: Alta Murgia National Park
Producers

Caseificio De Rosa
Via Milano, 30
Gravina in Puglia (Ba)
Tel. +39 348 3538734
caseificioderosa@tiscali.it
The dairy processes milk from the farm of
of Giampiero Berardi of Ruvo di Puglia (Ba).

Tarantino Brothers Dairy
Via Giardini, 92
Gravina in Puglia (Ba)
Tel. +39 338 9963227
tarantinosnc@libero.it
The dairy works with milk from the farms Vito Difonzo from Santeremo in Colle (Ba) and Giordano from Altamura (Ba)

Stella Dicecca Dairy
Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 11
Altamura (Ba)
Tel. +39 333 8313778-338 7700130
info@stelladicecca.it
The milk comes from All.Ca.No in Mottola (Ta)

Masseria La Ghianda
of Antonio Digregorio
Contrada Cassano, 34
Santeramo In Colle (Ba)
Tel. +39 320 8691155
masserialaghianda@gmail.com

Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Angelantonio Tafuno
Tel. +39 333 8313778
info@stelladicecca.it

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Nicola Curci
Tel. +39 347 6527228
info@nicolacurci.com

Territory

StateItaly
RegionPuglia

Other info

CategoriesMilk and milk products