The cheese takes its name from Imokilly, an ancient barony of County Cork, covering the coastal region from Youghal to Cobh. It is made from pasteurisedcow's milk by the Imokilly Cheese Company, part of the Dairygold cooperative, at its Mogeely specialty cheese facility.
The cheese originated when Imokilly Dairy Co-operative merged with Mitchelstown Dairy Co-operative, and they decided to make a “multi-functional cheese” that combined the best of traditional Cork cheesemaking with modern dairy technology. Using historical cheesemaking research, the team revived some old Irish coagulating methods and developed their own rennet, and began to produce Imokilly Regato in 1980.[2]
Dairygold describes their Imokilly Regato as having "piquant Italian flavour, dry firm texture and a light golden-creamy colour. It is characterised by delicate aromas of pears, fudge and butter and has a delicious nutty and creamy taste with a piquant finish." The milk has high levels of β-carotene.[4]
