Description
Ossolano PDO is a hard, semi-cooked cheese made exclusively with whole cow’s milk produced by the Bruna, Frisona and Pezzata Rossa breeds of cattle, or their crossbreeds. If it is produced with milk obtained from pastures higher than 1400 m between June 1st and September 20th, the word “d’Alpe” (from the Alps) follows the designation.
Production Area
The production area of Ossolano PDO is within 38 municipalities in the Province of Verbania-Cusio-Ossola, in the Piedmont region.
Production Method
The milk for Ossolano PDO must come from two to four consecutive milkings, and from one or two consecutive milkings for Ossolano PDO d’Alpe. The milk is curdled at a temperature between 36 and 39 °C, using rennet permitted by current legislation. Once the curd is obtained, it is broken until the grains are the size of a corn kernel. This process takes 5 to 10 minutes. Cooking starts while the curd is being continuously stirred, gradually arriving at a temperature between 42 and 45 °C and lasting from 15 to 30 minutes. Once cooked, the curd is extracted and then pressed to expel the residue whey and obtain a uniform mass of cheese. This process lasts a maximum of 12 hours. The product is then marked with a band. After salting, which can be either dry or in brine, the wheels are put in special ripening rooms at a temperature between 5-14 °C, with a relative humidity of between 75-90%, for a minimum of 60 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Ossolano PDO is cylindrical, with a straight or slightly convex heel and flat, or almost flat surfaces. It weighs between 6 and 7 kg, or between 5 and 6 kg for the “d’Alpe” variety. It has a smooth and even rind that is straw-yellow, which tends to darken with age. The cheese is also straw-yellow, varying in brightness, and is firm and springy with small irregular eyes. It has an aromatic flavour that is linked to the seasonal varieties of flora, and it becomes stronger and more fragrant with age.
History
Ossolano PDO owes its origins to the migration of the Walser people, a native population of Switzerland which over the centuries settled in the Ossola region. Due to the area’s particular climatic conditions, the Swiss-born community developed its own dairy technique which involved a semi-cooking stage, which was necessary to successfully expel the whey. The oldest documented evidence of the name Ossolano dates back to 1006, when the Bishop of Novara, Pietro, rented the buildings of the Parish Church of San Vincenzo in Grimaldo for 100 pounds of Ossolano cheese.
Gastronomy
Ossolano PDO is particularly suitable as a table cheese or to use in pasta dishes, such as the typical Ossola gnocchi, as well as other traditional dishes in the area of origin, like fondue, black bread soup and polenta concia. It is traditionally paired with structured red wines like Barolo PDO, Chianti PDO, Barbaresco PDO, and Barbera d'Asti PDO.
Marketing
The product is marketed year-round in the following typologies: Ossolano PDO and Ossolano PDO d’Alpe. It is sold in whole wheels or pieces.
Distinctive Features
The local plant essences present in the pastures where the cattle graze play a decisive role in giving Ossolano PDO its characteristic, harmonious and delicate aroma, which is linked to the seasonal flora.
