Caprino cheese facts for kids

Aged caprino

Caprino is a yummy Italian cheese. It's usually made from goat's milk. The name "Caprino" actually comes from the Italian word for goat, which is capra! Sometimes, this cheese is also made from cow's milk or a mix of both. There are two main types of Caprino: fresco (which means fresh) and stagionato (which means aged).

How Caprino Cheese is Made

Making Caprino cheese starts with milk. A special starter is added to the milk. This helps the milk get thick and form curds. This thickening process takes about a day.

From Milk to Cheese

Once the milk has turned into curds, they are carefully placed into molds. These molds help the extra liquid, called whey, drain away. This draining takes about 24 hours. After draining, the cheese is salted. It is also turned over many times. Then, it is left to age for a while. How long it ages depends on the type of Caprino being made. Some Caprino cheeses are aged for a month or even longer. Others might have tasty herbs added, like parsley, garlic, or chives. Ground pepper can also be used for extra flavor.

Fresh Caprino: Caprino Fresco

Caprino fresco is a fresh version of Caprino cheese. It is only aged for about three to four days. This short aging time gives it a soft and creamy feel. It often comes in a round or cylinder shape. Sometimes, Caprino fresco is wrapped in paper. Other times, it is kept in olive oil. This helps to keep it fresh, especially when it travels.

Aged Caprino: Caprino Stagionato

Caprino stagionato is the aged version of Caprino. It is aged for 20 to 40 days, or even longer. The longer aging makes it taste saltier and a bit tangy. This cheese is usually small. It can be square or shaped like a marshmallow. The outside skin, called the rind, is thin. It often looks yellow or reddish.

Different Kinds of Caprino

There are many different kinds of Caprino cheese. Each kind often comes from a special region in Italy. They might use slightly different ways to make the cheese. This gives each one its own unique taste and texture.

Caprino from Piedmont

• Caprino di Rimella is mostly made from raw goat's milk. Sometimes, cow's milk is used too. The curds are shaped by hand. They drain on special cloth for three days. This cheese is usually brownish-white. It comes from the Piedmont region in Italy.
• Caprino Ossolano is another cheese made from raw goat's milk. It has a soft, firm feel. The cheese is creamy-white inside. Its rind is often straw-yellow. This cheese is also made in the Piedmont region.

Caprino from Trentino

• Caprino di Cavalese comes from the Cavalese valley. The cheese is aged in a cellar. It is turned and washed with salt water every week. This cheese has a thin, reddish-yellow rind. The inside is ivory-white. It is made in the Trentino area.

Caprino from Liguria

• Caprino della Valbrevenna is made from goat's milk. It is often a fresh cheese. It has no rind when fresh. If it is aged, it gets a yellowish rind. The cheese inside is soft and milk-white. It is made in the Liguria region.

Caprino from Calabria

• Caprino dell'Aspromonte is made from goat's milk. The curds are cut into tiny pieces. They are then pressed by hand. This cheese can be soft or hard. The hard version has a grey-brown rind. It is made in the Calabria region.
• Caprino della Limina is also from goat's milk. The rind is brushed with olive oil as it ages. It can age for up to a year. The rind is straw-yellow. The cheese inside starts soft and gets harder as it ages. It is made in the mountain areas of Limina.

Caprino from Abruzzo and Molise

• Caprino di Montefalcone del Sannio is made from raw goat's milk. The cheese is aged for at least two months. It has a wrinkled, straw-yellow rind. The inside is soft and chalk-white. This cheese is made in the Abruzzo and Molise regions.