🧀 Ossolano

Ossolano is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from the Ossola valleys in northern Piedmont, between the Swiss cantons of Valais and Ticino. It belongs to semi-hard cheeses and to Italian cheeses.

It is made only from whole cow's milk of Brown, Friesian, Pezzata Rossa and crossbred cows, from two to four successive milkings, all year round. Breeding, milking, cheesemaking and maturing all take place in listed municipalities of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. At least 60% of the feed dry matter must be grass and fodder from the area. There is also a mountain version, Ossolano d'Alpe, made from milk of the summer Alpine pastures (1 June to 30 September) at 1,400 m or more.

Wheels are cylindrical, 29–32 cm across, 6–9 cm high and weigh 6–7 kg (5–6 kg for the Alpine version). The rind is smooth and straw yellow, darkening with age. The paste is firm and springy with small irregular eyes, from pale to deep straw yellow, with at least 40% fat in the dry matter. Semi-cooking of the curd and pressing, a technique developed by the Walser settlers, give it this texture. The minimum maturing is 60 days counting from the date the milk is first processed; only after that is the cheese branded and released.

Why it matters to you: the PDO mark goes with milk from the Ossola valleys, compulsory maturing and checked origin.