• Rosetta has been produced in the Upper Brembana Valley and in other Lombardy provinces by the old mountain herdsmen (called malghesi or malgher) since ancient times. Because few utensils are required, as well as the limited energy needed to reach the low temperatures for the cheesemaking, Rosetta was probably originally made during the mountain pasture period, when the poor structures available to the herdsman limited the possibilities of transforming the milk. As it was originally of little commercial importance, the exact time when it first appeared cannot be established. Rosetta is cylindrical in shape and varies in weight from 400 to 800 grams. It shares a special and relatively simple production technology with other matured soft cheeses, such as the better known Taleggio. There is evidence of Taleggio from as early as the tenth century, when cheeses of this type were already being made in the valley of the same name.
• Rosetta is a semi-cooked cheese made from cow’s milk, which means that the curds are heated to a temperature of not more than 48°C, above which cooked cheeses are made. Once milk is heated to a temperature of 37°C, rennet is added and it is left to curdle. When the curd reaches the right consistency, it is reduced with typical utensils to granules the size of grains of wheat and then they are heated once more to 42 °C. The curds are left to rest at the bottom of the cauldron for about half an hour, then removed and placed in small moulds and pressed to drain off the remaining whey. After it is removed from the mould, the cheese is dry-salted for two days.
• After salting, the cheese is transferred to cool rooms for ripening with a constant temperature of 5-8°C and humidity of 85-90 per cent. The forms are laid on wooden shelves and wiped and turned over frequently. The cheese is ready to be sold after 30-50 days.
• Rosetta is cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 14-15 cm, is 5-6 cm high and weighs 0.4-0.8 kg. When the cheese is fresh (30 days) the rind is smooth, thin and straw-coloured. In the more mature cheese, the rind is thicker and tends to be darker in colour. The taste is pleasant, mild, well balanced and with ageing, tends to take on slightly more intense notes. In the young cheese, the fragrance of fresh milk and newly cut grass stand out, whilst in the more mature cheese, aromas of butter and slightly fermented hay are noticed.