Bagòss cheese

Bagolino, an enchanting small mountain village at the foot of Mount Maniva and close to Lake Idro, produces a genuine local delicacy, well-known also outside of Italy. It’s Bagòss, the local cheese with a longstanding history of pureness and attention to detail during its production.

Bagòss cheese: a genuine local delicacy

Bagòss is produced in 28 small local dairy farms following an extremely ancient traditional ritual involving the farmer’s whole family in a spirit of mutual understanding and passion. This exclusive Bagolino excellence is in high demand in several countries worldwide, from Japan to the United States, from England to Germany.

Produced in a cylindrical shape, it has a diameter between 40 and 55 cm, for a maximum weight of about 20 kg. Bagòss is a hard cheese and boasts the typical, intense taste of seasoned cheese, enhanced by the addition of saffron.

At least 12 months of aging are needed; after one year, Bagòss is ready to be served alone or as an ingredient for pasta, meat, fish, egg, potato, and even pizza dishes. Extra-aged Bagòss is also excellent as grated cheese.

Transhumance: from pastures at the top of the mountains to cowsheds at the bottom of the valley

The milk used to produce Bagòss comes from Braunvieh cows, exclusively raised in Bagolino and fed with local hay.

In the summer, cows are taken to pastures up in the mountains, whereas they spend wintertime in cowsheds at the bottom of the valley. The arrival of the cows back to Bagolino is celebrated with the Festa della Transumanza, the transhumance festival held every year around mid-October. It represents an important folkloristic and gastronomic event which enhance the value of old local customs.

The festival lasts 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) and attracts children and grown-ups alike, who celebrate the return of the cows to the cowsheds accompanying their passage by cheering, playing music, and singing.

Where and how you can taste Bagòss

The best way to taste Bagòss is by going directly to Bagolino: during the winter, you can take this opportunity to go skiing on Mounts Maniva and Gaver; in the summer, several tourists hike along the numerous paths in the area visiting mountain huts and buying the cheese directly.

For those who want to have a taste experience dedicated to this product, here is the proposal of Azienda Agricola Malga del Re!

Another ideal moment to taste Bagòss, other than attending the Festival, is the famous Bagolino Carnival.