Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano Dop
The tradition of aging this cheese in pits began during the Medieval times and soon became an integral part of rural life. This tradition arose from the need to conserve stores of food, and the desire to protect them from raids by tribes and armies which, over the centuries, attempted to occupy the territory. The Pits were dug out of living sandstone rock and left rough. It became so common to dig such pits that eventually this activity was governed by precise regulations. The first documents regarding the pits and techniques for their use date back to the 14th century and come from the archives of the Malatesta family, the owners of the land. The traditional period for storing foods in the pits was the end of August, and beginning of September, and the pits were reopened on the 25th of November, Santa Caterina’s holy day. After 1350, the Malatesta nobility founded the Compagnia dell’Abbondanza (Company of Abundance) within walled areas, estates and ‘tumbae,’ farmhouses scattered throughout the territory. Over the centuries, the custom has continued, unchanging and unbroken, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Malatesta ruling class. These rules and practices have been handed down from generation to generation of cheese-pit operators who have retained the traditional knowledge and expertise.
Consumption
This “Fossa” cheese is traditionally eaten with mountain bread and red wine from the hills.It goes well with honey, fruit jams and preserves, balsamic vinegar, etc. In the cuisine of this area, it is used for giving flavour to rustic autumn and winter dishes, crumbled finely onto hot foods to give flavour and density to pasta dishes, soups, “pancotto” (bread soup), pasta and beans, egg-based pastas, and many other dishes. It is often among the ingredients in “passatelli,” “cappelletti,” and the soups of the Emilia-Romagna cuisine.
Identification
The logo for the DOP cheese, ‘Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano’ consists of a stylized drawing of a pit. The outline takes the shape of an isosceles triangle and represents sandstone, while the inner shape represents the cheeses emerging from the open base of the triangle. In the centre of the pit is the heraldic sign of the Malatesta nobility, a baby elephant. The drawings are in red on a straw yellow background. Below the semi-circle that borders the base of the triangle is the wording FORMAGGIO DI FOSSA. Around the upper part of the logo, forming a semi-circle to the right and left, are the words, again in large red print, “delle terre Malatestiane e del Montefeltro,” indicating the historical continuity and the bond with the territory.
I.D. card
- Type
- Cheese
- Description
- The external part of the finished product ranges from an ivory white colour to amber yellow. When the aging process is completed, the shapes of the cheeses “Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano” D.O.P. are irregular, often with bumps and hollows. The surface is primarily wet and greasy, and can be covered in butterfat and mould which is easily scraped off. Small cracks and possible ochre yellow stains of various intensities are often found on the product, and are among its characteristics. There is no rind or a very thin rind. The centre of the cheese has a semi-hard consistency, crumbles easily, and the colour is amber white or faintly straw yellow.
- Characteristics
- The odour is typical and lingering, sometimes pungent, with full aromas reminiscent of woodland undergrowth with hints of mould and truffles. The flavour varies depending on the composition of the aged cheese, according to the following characteristics: - the “pecorino” or sheep’s milk cheese has an aromatic aftertaste and fragrant, intense and pleasant flavour, slightly tangy to a greater or lesser extent; - the cow’s milk cheese is subtle and delicate, mildly salty and slightly acidic, with a touch of bitterness; - the mixed milk cheese has a balanced and pleasing flavour that lies between sharp and sweet, with bitter hints;
- Area of production
- The area of production for the pit-cheese “Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano” D.O.P. includes the entire territory of the provinces of Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, Ravenna, Pesaro-Urbino; Ancona; Macerata; Ascoli Piceno and part of the territory of the Province of Bologna, limited to the Municipalities of: Borgo Tossignano, Casalfiumanese, Castel San Pietro Terme, Castel del Rio, Dozza, Fontanelice, Imola, Loiano, Monghidoro, Monterenzio, Pianoro.
- Selling period
- All year round.
- Normative references
- Recognition was given with the EC Regulation 1183/09 of November 30, 2009, published in the European Community Official Journal 317 of 03/12/2009.
