Description
Bettelmatt is an exceptional cheese produced exclusively in seven summer pastures of the upper Ossola above 2000 meters altitude and is made from whole raw milk from a single milking, predominantly from Brown Swiss cows. The pastures are so high that the cheese wheels have to be transported down to the valley by helicopter. This semi-cooked cheese usually matures for a minimum of 60 days. Its distinctive aroma is linked to the mix of herbs and flowers, including the Mutellina herb, found in the high mountain areas where the cattle are grazed and where the cheese is produced. The meaning of the name Since the 13th century, during the Walser colonization of the subalpine area, Bettelmatt was used as a barter item or as currency for paying duties. The name seems to derive from "battel" meaning "alms," so it was certainly used for charitable purposes, combined with "matt" which in German means "pasture." Literally, it could be translated as "alms pasture."