Imokilly Regato

Imokilly Regato: Introduction

Originating from Imokilly in the south east of Cork, Imokilly Regato is a farm made cow’s milk cheese. The curds are obtained using ancient techniques, using the milk from cows which graze in a specific area of 3000km² where the grass is particularly rich. Thanks to the beneficial effects of the Gulf Stream, the cows can graze from March to October. Until the Second World War, production of the cheese was domestic, after the war, production was modernised and in 1973, two agricultural co-operatives joined together, Imokilly and Mitchelstown, who created a factory in Mogeely to produce the cheese on a larger scale.
The new generation of cheese imitates the ancestral techniques of the region and the savoir-faire of the fabrication of cheese and butter. This dairy has continued to develop ever since. Imokilly Regato has a straw yellow pate, reflecting the qualities of the characteristics of the grass of the region. The cheese is in a wheel with a convex heel and a rustic, yellow rind. The cheese is mild but slightly piquant at any age.

Fabrication of Imokilly Regato

The milk has particular characteristics, it is pasteurised, cooled to 32 to 34°C and then the rennet is added.  The curds obtained are cut and placed into moulds. The cheeses are then pressed and salted twice, the second time this is done by hand. The maturing process is particularly long, nearly a year. The cheeses are regularly tested throughout this period. Imokilly Regato benefits from a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).