It’s not always easy to find fresh cheese in Saigon—but right now, one Italian fromager has made it his personal mission to help elevate the Vietnamese palate with great quality fresh cheese.

On their search for the true Italian taste in the heart of the beautiful southern region of Italy, Italian entrepreneur and cheese lover Andrea—along with his local partner Thuy—embarked on an exploration of the cradle of fresh Italian cheese created using traditional methods and practices. Throughout their journey to discover the best and most authentic cheese making methods, they discovered that it was indeed possible to replicate these techniques here in Vietnam.

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By taking into careful consideration the variations in the weather conditions of Southeast Asia while at the same time paying extraordinary attention to the standards of hygiene in the production facility with respect to the tools and equipment they are using, they have established a traditional Italian cheesemaking workshop in this far-flung corner of the world many miles from Italy, making them the only makers of fresh, artisanally-produced Italian cheese in Vietnam.

“Ottima”—an Italian name that comes from the Latin root word “optimum”—means “great”, and to name a company “great” is to commit to a standard of quality that few others aspire to. The firm’s philosophy is not to produce cheese for the masses, but instead care for a focused and steadily growing client base, making quality and constant improvement in their production techniques and practices the priority for the business.

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The most important part of the Ottima cheese business is a heartfelt love for the product. The whole Ottima Cheese team believes that a love of fresh cheese is central to the firm’s philosophy, and they remain committed to the authenticity of the taste of every single variety of fresh cheese that they produce—which of course involves a commitment to sourcing the best ingredients.

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“The better the milk, the better the cheese”, says Andrea—and at Ottima, the products can travel from local farmsteads to the consumer’s table within 24 hours. That kind of speed is hard to beat, and the freshness is not only easy to taste, it’s beyond comparison in the region.

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Beyond this, Ottima is explicitly aiming to bring its consumer’s palate up to a higher level. Despite spending over four billion USD on cheese and other milk products per year, the average Vietnamese consumer is not especially familiar with the vast and varied fresco of cheeses beyond the widely available and heavily manufactured Laughing Cow cheese. 

It’s no wonder that this foil-packaged cheese is not commonly added to Vietnamese cuisine beyond banh mi and rice paper snacks, resulting in a very minor contribution to the cuisine that does no justice to the millennia of history in cheese making the world over. If the popularity of fresh cheese in Vietnam were ever to transcend beyond current levels, it would most assuredly open the door to an explosion of new dishes inspired by the best in both Italian and Vietnamese traditions.

One of the core advantages enjoyed by the firm is that almost every single Italian chef in Vietnam (many of whom are true friends and supporters) have proven willing to provide feedback every time a new product is launched from the firm’s small but well-organised dairy facility. Ottima consistently considers the comments of these valued professionals and always follows their suggested improvements to ensure continuous improvement and authenticity.

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In the end, fresh cheese is a simple product to make, but it is one that requires a lot of dedication, love and a refusal to allow for shortcuts in production. To this end, Ottima Cheese offers a wide range of green and aged cheese that will satisfy both the rookie and the expert to the cheese universe. A small library of recipes incorporating the various offerings of Ottima is available on the company’s website. Following its instructions, even novice home chefs can bring their cooking to a new level. Start your day with a plate of ricotta zucchini cakes, make a quick snack of bocconcini and tomato skewers. Add a highlight to your dinner with sumptuous portions of burrata with lemon jam and basil.

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Take the opportunity to pick up a selection of fresh cheese from Ottima dairy, bring it to the right temperature, give it a bite, and close your eyes—and you will almost literally hear the cows themselves as an overwhelming sense of happiness warms both your heart and your taste buds!

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Ottima Cheese Team