The Irish province of Munster has a long tradition of cheese-making. The baronies of Imokilly, Fermoy and Muskerry have been recognised as uniquely suitable for dairying back to medieval times. Before the formation of Imokilly Cooperative in 1930, the region was famous for its farmhouse butter and for the manufacture of farmhouse cheeses. References to a cheese-making tradition in the area can be traced back to the oldest Gaelic sources. 

In the memory of local people, some of 11.11.98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 343/5 whom started their working lives in domestic service in houses of the local landed gentry, cheese was being made domestically in the area until after the Second World War. 

A curd cheese is remembered as having been made commercially in the hydro-spa in Blarney for patients coming for treatment to that area. Following the amalgamation of the two farmer cooperatives Imokilly and Mitchelstown in 1973, the art and skill of experienced, older cheese makers was made available to a younger generation of craftsmen who started the new plant in Mogeely. Together, they designed a recipe for a multi-functional cheese. The recipe developed was a synthesis of traditional cheese making skills, technical know-how and the artisan tradition of cheese and butter-making in the area. To cite a specific instance, the rennet used for Imokilly Regato is based on some of the traditional coagulating materials for pre-medieval Irish cheeses described in research published in 1948. In 1986, a further merger with a farmer-owned cooperatives brought together Mitchelstown, Imokilly and Ballyclough in a new grouping known as Dairygold Cooperative, which is still fully farmer owned. While this application is being made in the name of the legal entity, Dairygold Cooperative, Dairygold Mogeely continues to have an independent existence within the Dairygold group as a collector and processor of milk from the south east Cork region. The townland of Mogeely, where the manufacturing creamery is located, lies within the barony of Imokilly. The barony name derives from the ancient Gaelic name of the region, Ui MacCaille. 

Method of production: The cheese is manufactured between March and October from milk produced only by pasture-fed cows. Because of the long grazing period in the catchment area, the milk contains high levels of betacarotene, the precurser of vitamin A, which imparts a special colour to it. This grazing profile also affects the fat content of the milk. It contains a higher percentage of low melting fatty acids which impact on the flavour. Milk is standardised to ensure consistency in cheese flavour and texture. It is cooled to 32-34*C. A specially identified strain of culture, supplemented by other selected strains, is used as the core bacteria in the cheese starter. Following ripening, an individualised rennet, blended daily on the premises, is added. Regato curd is cut very finely to take heat very quickly and aid the growth of beneficial bacteria. The starter culture, the rennet and the curd handling develop the flavour, body and texture of this specific cheese. The cheese curds are shaped in moulds. The pressed cheese is salted twice, the second salting being by hand. The cheese is typically held in controlled conditions for 9-12 months for maturation.

Link: Apart from the method of production which is peculiar to Imokilly Regato, the distinctive colour (in the straw-yellow to golden-cream range) of the cheese is directly linked to the qualities of the local milk supply. The cheese is manufactured only from milk produced by cows grazing on pasture in the period March to October. The influence of the Gulf Stream on the climate of south-east Cork is such that cows in the catchment area spend an exceptionally large amount of their lactation period on grass. Because of the particularly long grazing season in this area, the milk has a distinctive colour and natural flora which is reflected in the taste and colour of Imokilly Regato. The unique taste, aroma and texture of Imokilly Regato result as a consequence of the combination of this milk supply and the production process incorporating cheesemaking skills traditional to the region.