The bagòss: Bagolino’s typical cheese

Local cheese from the characteristical particular, well known and praised, as Cocchetti already recalls in 1858. The “bagòss” has been always subject to favourable estimation; was awarded at Milano’s Exhibition on 1874 in the person of G. Scalvini, called “Zorzara”. The unmistakable taste of the “bagòss” is granted by the forage that grows on the Bagolino’s pasture, particularly on the Mount Vaia, Bruffione, della Misa and Maniva. The expert breeder points out pastures should be raised with manure only.

How to obtain this gourmet’s cheese, that even expert’s smell a new bouquet, different from all other cheeses, always inviting, always tempting? It’s practice that gives that particular and inimitable touch. Mountain people have learned from tradition that “bagòss” cheese is born this way:

• Taking fresh milk and straining it thru branches of “daze” (conifers), which are placed on the bottom of the bucket, that has the depth with holes. Then the wooden tubs are filled.
• After resting for one day and one night, milk is gently mixed with “bazie” wooden spoon or with a cooper holed bowl called “mènèstèr forà”; the cream that comes out in this process is taking to a starting handle machine to produce butter.
• Milk is now poured onto the “chèlderè”, that hangs from a contraption called “segàgn”, then the fire is lighted.
• The “resole” (wooden cog-wheel, with long handle) mixes the milk, and the chief must be very careful to take the cauldron in and out the fire to keep an even temperature. When the mass arrives to 37 grades, the pot is removed from fire to add the powder rennet. Time ago, rennet was made from the calf’s testicle, which was dried by hanging up from cowl; once dried they were squeezed until becoming powder, being then ready to be added to milk.
• After adding the powder rennet, the mixture must rest for hour. By blowing, the chief knows the thickness of the blend. The blow must leave three wrinkles on the covering layer when rennet is ready. Then the mixture is crumbled for the first time with the “trizè” or “lira” kind of zither with steel threads. With the “spina”, another tool that helps to further crumble the mixture until reducing the mass to small granules. The pot returns to the fire to be mixed with the “resolè”.
• This is the moment when the “cheese” will begin to tie up, temperature is high to 48 grades. The pot is taking away from the fire.
• The new cheese has reached the right texture, with the perfect mixture of milk and rennet. It’s taken from the boiler with a wooden bowl and then cut in pieces “butched” and pressed into the wooden “fascera”, that models the “bagòss”.
• The “fascera” is now taken to the “rèolt” (appropriate room), where cheese will be salted on the surface and turned upside down. Now the cheese is ready for its maturing that will last three years. During this period the usual phases of oiling, scrapping, turning upside down and tasting with knurled needle will take place to judge the taste. To obtain a mould of “bagòss” cheese (15-16 kg) about 300 litres of milk are needed.