Skip to main content
Support

Browse by category

All categories
Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Italy, Piedmont

Ossolano PDOOssolano

Ossolano is a semi-cooked pressed cow cheese from the Ossola valleys of northern Piedmont. Whole raw or pasteurised milk is set with calf rennet at 36–39 °C, the curd is cut to maize-grain size and heated to 42–45 °C, then pressed for up to 12 hours in bands printed with the name. It ripens at least 60 days at 5–14 °C. Made in 7 steps over 2 months. The longest step, ripen, takes at least 2 months (Regione Piemonte 2012) and runs at 5–14 °C (Regione Piemonte 2012). Lactic bacteria of the milk, or selected native lactic starters from the production area does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2 monthsSet[oss-disc2012][onaf-sheet]Ripen
Temperature5–14 °CSet[oss-disc2012]Ripen
Fully documentedCheese2 monthsPDO (EU, 2017)More other cheesesMore from Italy

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification fixes limits, not a recipe. A wheel is 29–32 cm across and 6–9 cm high and weighs 6–7 kg (Ossolano d'Alpe 5–6 kg).
Whole cow milk · From 2 to 4 consecutive milkings (Ossolano d'Alpe 1 to 2); raw or pasteurised[oss-disc2012]
Starters of local lactic bacteria · Optional; selected from native strains of the production area[oss-disc2012]
Calf rennet · Animal rennet from calf abomasum[oss-disc2012]
Salt · Dry or as brine[oss-disc2012]
Starter: optional selected native lactic bacteria from the Ossola area

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play

What changes: Starting material: whole cow milk from two to four milkings, raw or pasteurised

Step 1 of 7
Collect whole milk from several milkings
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Ossolano uses 2 to 4 consecutive milkings; Ossolano d'Alpe uses 1 to 2, made on alpine pastures at 1400 m or higher from June to September. In the 2012 text at least 70% of the cows' forage came from the area, and d'Alpe cows ate only fresh pasture plus at most 20% cereals.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Ossolano is semi-cooked at 42–45 °C and pressed, a method the specification links to the cold mountain climate, where heating helps the whey drain. It is lower-cooked than Gruyère-type cheeses and ripened shorter. Ossolano d'Alpe is made only on high summer pastures.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Ossolano d'AlpeMade on alpine pastures at 1400 m or higher from 1–2 milkings, June to September; 5–6 kg; brown paper label instead of green

Safety

The PDO allows raw milk. ANSES names Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli as the risks of raw-milk cheeses and advises pregnant women, young children, people over 65 and people with weak immunity not to eat them, except cooked pressed cheeses.

Hazards the sources name: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (raw-milk risks named by ANSES; the PDO allows raw milk).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification cites a deed of 12 July 1006 in which the bishop of Novara leased church land for a yearly rent of 100 pounds of cheese. In 1598 Bishop Carlo Bescapé sent cheese from the Antrona and Bognanco valleys to Pope Clement VIII. The Ossola still keeps turn-based village dairies (latterie turnarie), where farmers take turns to make cheese from the pooled milk.

  1. [oss-disc2012] Regione Piemonte, Direzione Agricoltura, notice of the request to recognise the production specification (disciplinare) of the PDO "Ossolano", with the full text, Bollettino Ufficiale 2012 no. 13spec
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet Ossolano DOP (Reg. EU 2017/1788)web
  3. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov