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, and crossbreeds of the same. If it is produced between June 1st and September 20th, with milk obtained from pastures higher than 1400m, the word “d’Alpe” is added to the designation.
Production Area
The production area of Ossolano PDO comprises 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 °C and 39 °C, using rennet permitted by current legislation. Once the curd is obtained, it is cut 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 °C e 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 branded with labels. After brining, which can be either dry or wet, 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, and Ossolano PDO d’Alpe weighs between 5 and 6 kg. It has a smooth and even straw-yellow rind, which tends to darken with age. The cheese is also straw yellow, varying in brightness, and is firm and springy with small irregular eyes. Its aromatic flavour is linked to the seasonal flora, and it becomes stronger and more fragrant with age.
History
Ossolano PDO owes its origins to the migration of the Walser, a native population of Switzerland, which over the centuries settled in the Ossola Valley. Due to the particular climatic conditions in the area, the Swiss-born community developed its own dairy technique which involved a semi-cooking stage, necessary to expel the whey. The oldest documentary evidence of Ossolano cheese 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 as an ingredient for the preparation of pasta dishes, such as the typical Ossola gnocchi, as well as other traditional dishes from the area of origin, likes fondue, black bread soup and polenta concia. It is best paired with structured red wines like Barolo PDO, Chianti PDO, Barbaresco PDO and Barbera d'Asti PDO.
Distinctive Features
The local plant essences present in the pastures where the cattle graze play a decisive part in the characteristic, harmonious and delicate aroma of Ossolano PDO, which is linked to the seasonal flora.
