Valcasotto : a cheese that contains all the characteristics and particularities of the area and the town that gives its name to the product itself and which, therefore, best represents Beppino Occelli's project. This is exactly what we will talk about in our new journey through flavors and territories .
As for the small and homonymous hamlet of Pamparato, brought back to life and newly enhanced by Beppino himself, also the Valcasotto cheese It was a bit of a rediscovery, an intuition of Occelli that came from recovering the customs of the shepherds of the past, who went up to the mountains and returned with forms that were at the time called Ormea, as they were made in the pastures of Pizzo that bears the same name. From this tradition, in fact, comes Beppino's desire to pay homage to the small reality of Valcasotto, perfectly nestled between Piedmont and Liguria.
But what is really special about this cheese?
The variety of characteristics that it can present is certainly one of the most interesting elements of Valcasotto: the taste of this cheese varies in fact according to the type of hay used but above all the period of seasoning , however never less than one hundred days which gives it a sweet and delicate flavour and over time develops into a more decisive and marked taste.
What has an important influence, then, is the type of herbs ; Valcasotto is in fact produced all year round, and there is also a Alpine version, when the cows go to pasture during the summer period.
Here is an eclectic cheese for you, capable of varying taste and characteristics but of maintain its uniqueness . Just like Beppino Occelli, who with his cheeses has been and still is able to innovate and to offer ever new and original flavours , without however detaching itself from the roots of his land .
And the territory surrounding Valcasotto and the valley of the same name is no less, that of the Maritime Alps , perfectly inserted in a rich and uncontaminated nature and ideal both for those who love the sea - the Ligurian beaches can be reached in an hour - and for those who appreciate the mountains and winter activities, such as those offered by Garessio 2000 and from the ski resort of Sangiacomo di Roburent , both a few kilometers from Valcasotto.
Again, when talking about Valcasotto cheese, one cannot fail to mention its “regal” imprint, given the appreciation of many nobles and royals starting from the early 1800s - Napoleon, Charles Albert and Victor Emmanuel to name a few. And it was the latter who also made Valcasotto his hunting residence, where he spent a lot of time in the Castle together with his lover, known as “la Bela Rosin”.
