Brossat, or brull in some zones, is a fresh cheese in Catalan cuisine made from whey (xerigot) resulting from the making of other cheeses, such as mató, a fresh or aged cheese, from sheep or goats. It's made by heating the whey until the temperatures is almost but not quite boiling, when the insoluble milk proteins and other particles precipitate and can be collected in shape of white flocculuses on the surface of the whey. It is not pressed, nor salted or aged, but is shaped with molds or cloths. It is a cheese with very little fat (around 10%) and high

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

Etymology

This product is called brossat in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, Menorca and Mallorca. It's known and marketed as brull, in the contraforts muntanyencs of the Ports of Beseit, to the south of the lands of the Ebre and in

Alt Maestrat Alt Maestrat (; es, Alto Maestrazgo) is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

. This brull is used to stuff the

flaó Flaó (plural flaons, ) is a cheesecake or tart found in Spanish cuisine popular from Catalan speaking areas. It is claimed by Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with some controversy. Traditionally flaons were part of Easter family celebrations in ...

pastries of Morella.

Variants

Brossato-like varieties are made in other Mediterranean countries, for example in Occitania it is known as brousse, in Avairon it is called recuite, in Corsica it is called brocciu, and in Italy it is called ricotta. They also have serac in Switzerland or urda in Romania.

References

{{Reflist Catalan cuisine Spanish cheeses