Cacioricotta facts for kids
| Region or state | Basilicata Puglia Campania |
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Cacioricotta is a special type of cheese that comes from Southern Italy. It's made in regions like Basilicata, Apulia, and Calabria. This cheese is unique because it uses a mix of methods, combining how Ricotta is made with how harder cheeses are produced.
How Cacioricotta is Made
Making Cacioricotta is a bit different from other cheeses. It uses a "hybrid" method. This means it takes steps from making Ricotta and also from making hard cheeses.
What Milk is Used?
Cacioricotta is usually made from the milk of sheep or goats. Sometimes, it can also be made with cow milk or even water buffalo milk, but that's less common.
The Cooking Process
To start, the milk is filtered and then heated up until it boils. After boiling, it's left to cool down to about 38-40 degrees Celsius. Then, something called rennet is added. Rennet helps the milk curdle, which means it separates into solid parts and liquid parts.
Because the milk was heated to such a high temperature (close to 90 degrees Celsius) before cooling, special things happen. The solid parts, called curd, along with casein and albumin (which are types of protein in milk), all become part of the cheese. This is different from making ricotta, where a lot of the liquid part, called whey, is usually left behind.
Special Types and Regions
Cacioricotta is recognized as a "prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale" (PAT). This is a special Italian recognition for traditional food products. It means the cheese is made in a traditional way in a specific region.
There are different kinds of Cacioricotta, often named after where they come from:
- Cacioricotta (a general term)
- Cacioricotta di capra cilentana (made from goat's milk in the Cilento area)
- Cacioricotta di bufala (made from buffalo milk)
- Cacioricotta salentino (from the Salento area in Apulia)
