RENATO BRANCOLEONI @fossadellabbondanza welcoming us to his Fossa dell’Abondanza which he runs in Emilia Romagna with his daughter Anna. They are multigenerational cheese aging experts in the village of Roncofreddo. While they dont make the cheese themselves they do age it. They procure certain cheeses made locally and age them in their ancient fossa. The fossa translates to an inground pit, some call it a small cave. The fossa is prepared in early summer by lining it with straw, barley and wheat. Later in the summer the cheeses are wrapped individually in white cotton and lowered into the Cave which had been used in the town since the late Middle Ages. Once the fossa is full it is sealed for 100 days. The magic anerobic environment the natural bacteria and the minerality of the soil imparts a pungent and particular terroir to the cheese. When the cave is opened the cloths have taken on a deep caramel color and the cheeses a most spectacular flavor.The Pecorino di Fossa is one of my most favorite cheeses. Shot in Italy for @ilbuconyc