The Piedmontese (Italian: razza bovina Piemontese) is a breed of cattle from the region of Piedmont, in north-west Italy. The calves are born fawn in colour, turning grey-white as they mature.
Its origins date back to some 25,000 or 30,000 years ago when Zebu (Bos taurus indicus) migrating from what is today Pakistan arrived in this area of plains, hills and mountains, surrounded on three sides by the Alps and Apennines and, unable to get any further, they interbred with the local Aurochs (Bos primigenius). The breed developed through natural selection followed by the normal processes of domestication and, particularly from the late nineteenth century when the characteristic "double muscling" first appeared, through selective breeding. The first herd-book was opened in 1877.
The cattle are raised both for their milk, which is used for a number of the region’s traditional cheeses (Castelmagno, Bra, Raschera, and Toma Piemontese), and for meat: beef from the Piedmontese cattle is seen a premium product.
The herd in Piedmont numbers some 273,000 head of cattle.
References
- Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Bovini di Razza Piemontese (English). Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
- Breeds of Livestock - Piedmontese Cattle. Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
- Piera Genta (ed.). La Razza Bovina Piemontese (Italian). Torino Magazine / Piemondo. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
Further resources
- Agraria.org Razze bovine: Piemontese (Italian)
- British Piemontese Cattle Society
- The North American Piedmontese Cattle Association
- Piedmontese Association of the United States
- prodottitipici.com :: Bovino piemontese (Italian)
- Regione Piemonte. Piemontese: Origine e sviluppo della razza (Italian)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
