Bross

Product A Piedmontese specialty that is made with a base of Toma della Langa or Robiola cheese with the addition of grappa and dry white wine. It is also prepared by processing and fermenting many other cheeses made from sheep's milk.

Origin It is primarily a specialty of Piedmont and especially of the Langhe, the hills around and extending to the south of Alba. The numbers seven and 12 and their multiples are important in the preparation of this cheese. Bross requires seven weeks to ripen fully and it must be stirred each week with 12 or 24 strokes of a spatula.

Form and Dimensions Bross is a soft and odorous cheese with a straw-yellow colored paste. Its size obviously depends upon the quantity of the initial cheeses.

Characteristics According to a local proverb "l'amor l'� pi fort che l'bross" ("love is stronger than Bross"). And Piedmontese farmers always repeat that formula to encourage those who are tasting Bross for the first time and are not accustomed to either the strength or the piquancy of this cheese. It really cannot be described as piquant, because it burns rather than tickles the palate.

Consumption Bross is eaten smeared over slices of homemade bread or grilled polenta.

Processing In making Bross, cheeses that are ready to eat are used in combination with other ingredients. The end result is a cheese with a highly unusual odor and flavor. It is not, in fact, a food for delicate palates or digestive systems. There are two types of Bross, the classical version and another with an even stronger flavor. In making the classic type, well-aged Robiola cheese, usually produced with the milk of a rutting nanny goat, is placed in a terra-cotta jug. Grappa made from grape pressings, a great deal of pounded black pepper and hot red pepper are added. The ingredients are then covered with olive oil. After several days, the cheese is stirred 12 or 24 times, with the spatula always being moved in the same direction. Afterward, the jug is stored in a cool place and the maker must wait until fermentation begins. At that point, the container is shifted to a warmer location and it is covered with an overturned dish weighed down with a stone. Once the mixture has ripened, the cheese will be soft and creay, ready for consumption. For the more strongly flavored version, a pinch of Bross already made is added to various goat's milk cheeses. This will speed up the fermentation process. Unboiled sheep's milk and grappa are added to the cheese and the container is stored in a moderately warm room and covered with a sheet of parchment paper. More milk and grappa is added every three to four days and the mixture is stirred.. By the 21st day, small, extremely lively worms will have developed and reduced the cheese to a smooth cream that is passed through a fine sieve.

History There are many local variants of the name, among them brus, bruzzu and bruz. The word's etymology is uncertain but it may be derived from the name of the Bresse region in France or the French term brousse, which refers to a ricotta-type cheese.

Storage The cheese can be stored in a cool cellar. It keeps well for many months.