The ‘Nisso‘ of Menconico is a unique cheese that is lovingly produced here in the Oltrepò Pavese area.
The Oltrepò pavese is a region rich in cheese-making traditions and artisan cheeses with a rich variety of local cheeses whose production is handed down from generation to generation.
This is the case of Nisso di Menconico, a very special cheese that is produced in very small quantities in the northern Apennine valleys of the Staffora Valley in Oltrepò Pavese using mixed milk, i.e. cow‘s milk and sheep‘s milk are mixed together.
It is a cheese with a long maturation period that is often referred to as ‘the cheese that jumps or burns‘. The origin of this name is linked to the presence of cheese fly worms. The process of decomposition takes place during ripening when the cheese is besieged by the fly, which penetrates inside the moulds and lays its eggs there. These, of course, turn into larvae and feed on the cheese, turning it into a kind of cream with a slightly spicy flavour.
Its shape may vary depending on the bowls, known as ‘amole‘, that are used for storage, as far as maturation is concerned it is 12/24 accompanied by frequent oiling of the rind.
Today, the traditional version of nisso is rarely found on the market due to strict European and health and hygiene regulations that limit the marketing of this cheese. A few producers remain who make it for self-consumption and in small quantities. The nisso that can instead be found on sale follows a different process: instead of larvae, micro-organisms are inoculated that give the cheese its characteristic spicy flavour.
Nisso di Menconico is a unique cheese in all respects and its reduced production makes it even more valuable. Coming to visit the Oltrepò means discovering, in every corner and in every village, its ancient roots and traditions but, above all, productions that can only be tasted in this land.
