Italy’s ancient ritual of buried cheese
Print Edition
CHEESE lovers may want to travel to Italy’s Sogliano al Rubicone in November.
This little town in the Italy’s Romagna region is famous for the historic river Rubicon, which Emperor Julius Caesar crossed as he uttered, “Alea iacta est” (“The die is cast”). But it is also known for its traditional formaggio di fossa, a cheese that is buried at the end of August in underground pits (fossa) and resurrected in late November.
The technique of the infossatura (the burying) dates back to the 15th century, when Romagna residents hid food in secret pits to protect it from Aragonese troops plundering the country. Formaggio di fossa can be made with sheep’s milk (which has an aromatic taste and a piquant flavor), cow’s milk (which is delicate, slightly sour and salty, with a bitter aftertaste) or misto, from both milks (well-balanced taste with bitter hints).
The cheese is wrapped in a cloth bag and stacked right up to the mouth of the pit, then covered with more canvas to prevent transpiration. Typically, a pit measures almost 10 feet high, including the neck, with a base of about 6 1/2 feet in circumference. The pit is prepared by burning straw, which removes moisture and damp air, and also reduces bacteria, which may be harmful to fermentation. After the cheese is placed in the pit, a wooden lid is placed over the opening. It is sealed with plaster or chalk, then covered with stones and sand. Maturation takes about three months, at which time the bags of cheese are taken out.
The sfossatura (the unearthing) occurs on November 25, the day dedicated to Saint Caterina. Sogliano and the nearby town of Talamello celebrate the event with the annual Festival of Fossa Cheese, a joyous day during which you can visit area farms and enjoy the cheese market.
The process of fermentation gives the cheese a unique flavor, as well as a reduction of whey and fat. It has an uneven shape, a hard or semi-hard and easily fryable consistency, and a color that spans from white to amber. The aroma is strong, with hints of sulfur, mold and truffles, and a pungent taste on the bitter side.
I met with Annalisa Raduano, the owner of Caseificio Pascoli in Talamello, a family-managed factory known for its artisanal cheeses, including the DOP fossa. According to Annalisa, it can be eaten on its own, served with a piece of bread or piadina, or used for preparing a number of regional dishes, such as the traditional broth with cappelletti. It can even be served as a dessert with honey. Annalisa loves to pair the sharp taste of the cheese with the sweetness of the pumpkin in this soup. It’s a quite simple recipe.
Pumpkin and fossa cheese soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
14 ounces pumpkin or yellow squash
2 ounces fossa cheese
3.5 ounces butter
1.7 ounces spinach
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 onion
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into cubes. In a pan, melt half the butter with the finely chopped onion, add half of the diced pumpkin, add the broth, and cook 20 minutes.
2. Add the cream, salt and pepper. Mix in the blender to get a thick purée.
3. In a pan, melt the remaining butter, add the remaining pumpkin, salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped spinach. Stir for 10 minutes.
4. Divide the cream between six to eight dishes, sprinkle over the diced pumpkin and the spinach, and garnish with thinly sliced fossa cheese. Let the cheese melt and serve immediately.
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