A basket as old as cheese
The fuscèlle were cylindrical reed-baskets used as cheese moulds into which fresh curd was pressed to drain and begin maturation. A pointed item (e.g., a porcupine quill) was used for finishing the trézza (literally plait) framing the basket’s mouth. Reeds are not available in the immediate vicinity of Maranola but grow abundantly in the plains of the Garigliano River, almost 25 km to the south. The best quality reeds are harvested between June and September and, after drying, can be stored for several years. Before weaving begins, dried reeds must be boiled for at least 20 minutes. Today, existing sanitary norms mandate the use of plastic/metal moulds for cheese making and, as a result, cylindrical reed baskets (fuscèlle) have now been abandoned.