FORMAGGIO DI FOSSA

FORMAGGIO DI FOSSA At Sogliano al Rubicone, leaving cheese to mature in underground pits between summer and late autumn is an old custom, dating back to around 1400; the humidity, the temperature and the lack of oxygen in the pits where the cheeses are stored, cause the cheese to ferment again wonderfully in just a couple of months. When the cheese it taken out of the pits, it is an irregular cylindrical shape with an average weight of 0.8 - 1 kg. The rind and inside cannot be told from each other and are compact and crumbly; the smell and taste are characteristic and strong. The cheeseis supplied by cheesemakers scattered about the province of Forli’-Cesena mainly from sheeps’ milk but also from a mixture of cows’ and sheeps’ milk from their own herds, obtaining excellent pecorino and caciotta cheeses. 
The pits are opened on 1st August until the end of September for the cheeses to be put in, which means that it comes from the highest quality products from the spring-summer production. The maturing of the cheese inside the characteristic pits dug into the tufo dating back to the Middle Ages takes about three months and gives the cheese that recognizable and unmistakable smell and taste, thanks to the fermentation which takes place in these particular conditions. “Fossa” cheese contains a high percentage of fat and predigested proteins which make it one of the most digestible cheeses available. 
The pits at Sogliano al Rubicone are then opened at the end of November during the celebrated “Formaggio di Fossa” festival.

Typical Products