Sora cheese is a fresh product made of sheep's and goat's milk, mixed with variable quantities of cow's milk. The name derives from the particular appearance it takes upon ripening, which resembles the sole of a shoe. The shapes of the whole cheeses are round or square, with diametres of 12-15 cm, and the outer edge is 3- 4 cm and weight of 1-4 kg. The cheese is light and with small holes; the texture is soft,buttery, white in colour and has a sweet taste. There is no crust in the fresh products, while it thickens slightly in the ripened ones. The aroma is that of milk, a fragrance of herbs and mountain flowers.
Production Area
It is produced from local milk in the southern part of the Province of Cuneo, in the area of the Valleys Monregalesi and surrounding areas (Cuneo Province, pastures Alta Val Tanaro and Val Casotto, common Ormea, Garessio, Viozene).
How it is made
Whole raw milk is warmed to reach 34-36 °C to which goatling rennet is added. After 20 minutes the curd is broken down with a Swiss "harp." After a break, the curd is again cut up to hazelnut size. The mass is gathered and wrapped in a sheet of cloth, and it is wrapped and a weight is put on it for about 12 hours. When the cloth is removed the cheese is dry salted. It continues to refine in a refrigerating cell at 10°C for 15 days and aged in the cellar for 3-6 months.
History
The Sola cheese is an ancient cheese from Cuneo. The name derives from the fact that after aging, the cheese becomes hard like shoe soles, which in the local dialect is said to be "soera or sòra" and in classic Piedmontese: sòla.
It is a cheese that has its origins in the traditions in mountain pastures, as reported by the historian, Tulio Pagliana, in one of his studies on the life of shepherds of Upper Tanaro Valley.
