Description
Shapes
The whole shape weighs 2.250 kg, half about 1 kg, 1/4 about half a kg.
History and curiosities
Caciocavallo is a hard aged cheese typical and native to southern Italy but now widespread throughout the country. It is produced with cow’s milk with the addition of rennet, lactic ferments and salt. It is preserved by hanging it over a beam to dry it, and once ready it will have a figure 8 shape with a constriction at the support point. The cows that are used for the production of caciocavallo also feed on herbs, shrubs and essences of the undergrowth. Caciocavallo has a straw-yellow color, with a thin and smooth crust that can be cracked. The paste is hard and greasy, straw-yellow or white in color and distributed irregularly. The inside is yellow or white with a soft and compact consistency. The maturing period is at least 30 days but can be much longer for the more prized forms.
Caciocavallo recipes and pairings
Its flavor is excellent for flavoring many dishes and preparations. It is also ideal accompanied with bread or vegetables, or melted. Caciocavallo is one of the main ingredients of traditional southern recipes, used for the preparation of aubergines parmigiana or in Calabrian baked pasta. Its unique flavor also stands out when paired with cured meats such as soppressata.
Wine
Caciocavallo pairs well with white wines with personality, such as Grillo di Sicilia. If the cheese is aged longer, it is excellent with Primitivo di Puglia, Chianti Classico Toscano or Cannonau di Sardegna or an Aglianico del Vulture DOC.
Storage
The best way to store caciocavallo is in a cellar or in rooms with low temperatures, but if you don’t have such a space at home, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator in the lower part that is less cold. To avoid thermal shock to the cheese and to not alter its properties, you should take the caciocavallo out of the refrigerator at least an hour before bringing it to the table.
Ingredients
milk (lactose), salt, rennet
Keep in the refrigerator at +4° +6° C. Surface treated with E203, E235. Inedible rind. Milk origin EU. Contains allergens. Produced by I 05/394 CE
