Broccio Passu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Broccio Passu is a Corsican cheese which comes in the form of a ball of curd that has been flattened and presented in a returnable wicker basket known as "les canestres" which varies in sizes. Broccio is usually eaten fresh, within forty eight hours, but if drained and salted, it can be ripened like other cheeses. The ripening of this cheese represent about 15 % of the total production. It is an unusual cheese which is made from lactoserum, the whey that is recuperated after cheesemaking. One needs 11 liters of milk to obtain the lactoserum to produce a kilo of Broccio. The Broccio is a specialty of Pascal Beillevaire, the cheese master. The method of making the cheese is quite simple. The cheese is salted and left to dry on wooden boards, then it is wrapped in leaves and placed in a cool cellar for two weeks. During this period of time the cheeses are turned and rubbed. The maturing process gives the cheese a sharp and strong taste.