The capital of Formaggio di Fossa are Talamello in the Montefeltro area and Sogliano al Rubicone in Romagna. The farmers started to bury the cheese in underground cellars (fosse) to preserve it from the insatiable hunger of the many passing armies. There are written records testifying this aging technique as old as 1497. From these documents appears that the cellars were often rented by the owner of cheeses and grains to protect them from hungry soldiers. This cheese is prepared with a variable mix of cow and sheep milk, is then buried for 80-100 days. In the cellar it undergoes an anaerobic fermentation that breaks the molecules of proteins and fats, making them more digestible. The result of all this work and history is a lovely cheese of delicate but well characterized flavor. This cheese is at its best accompanied with honey or fruit preserve. Reds or sweet wines like “Passito”, are the perfect match.
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