Anevato Cheese vs Caciocavallo Cheese
Anevato Cheese
Caciocavallo Cheese
Anevato Cheese is a soft, spreadable with a grainy texture goat or sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Caciocavallo Cheese is firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly and made from cow milk, originating in Italy.
What Is Anevato Cheese?
Anevato is a Greek fresh cheese made from sheep's milk, goat's milk or a blend of the two in the mountains of Grevena and Voio in Western Macedonia. It is white, spreadable and grainy like cottage cheese, lightly salty and sour, and has held PDO status since 1996.
What Is Caciocavallo Cheese?
Caciocavallo is a stretched-curd cheese from southern Italy, made with sheep's or cow's milk and shaped like a teardrop. It has a hard edible rind and tastes much like the aged provolone of the same region.
What's the Difference Between Anevato Cheese and Caciocavallo Cheese?
- Origin: Anevato Cheese (Greece), Caciocavallo Cheese (Italy)
- Milk type: Anevato Cheese (Ewe's or goat's milk or mixtures of both), Caciocavallo Cheese (cow's milk)
- Texture: Anevato Cheese (Soft, spreadable with a grainy texture), Caciocavallo Cheese (Firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly)
- Aging: Anevato Cheese (at least 2 months), Caciocavallo Cheese (2 to 12 months, up to 5 years)
- Taste: Anevato Cheese (Pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor), Caciocavallo Cheese (Slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Anevato Cheese | Caciocavallo Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | Italy |
| Specific Origin | Western Macedonia | Apennine Mountain Range |
| Milk Type | Ewe's or goat's milk or mixtures of both | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Left at 64°–68°F to sour and curdle, rennet is optional | — |
| Texture | Soft, spreadable with a grainy texture | Firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly |
| Rind | — | Smooth, thickens with age |
| Aging | At least 2 months | 2 to 12 months, up to 5 years |
| Taste | Pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor | Slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex |
Taste Comparison: Does Anevato Cheese Taste Like Caciocavallo Cheese?
Anevato Cheese reads as pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor, while Caciocavallo Cheese brings slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex character. On the nose, Anevato Cheese offers distinct milky aroma, contrasted with Caciocavallo Cheese's earthy. More specifically, Anevato Cheese shows lightly salty and sour, refreshing, with a clear milky note, while Caciocavallo Cheese leans toward sweet when young; intensifies and becomes piquant and complex with age, dotted with small crystals. Aging plays into this as well. Anevato Cheese at at least 2 months develops a different profile than Caciocavallo Cheese at 2 to 12 months, up to 5 years.
Can You Substitute Anevato Cheese for Caciocavallo Cheese?
Anevato Cheese can stand in for Caciocavallo Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft, spreadable with a grainy texture bite and body where the recipe calls for firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly. Flavor-wise, Anevato Cheese reads as pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor while Caciocavallo Cheese brings slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex notes.
Which Is Better, Anevato Cheese or Caciocavallo Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft, spreadable with a grainy texture cheese, go with Anevato Cheese. For a firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly profile, Caciocavallo Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Anevato Cheese suits recipes that want pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor notes, while Caciocavallo Cheese fits dishes calling for slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anevato Cheese the same as Caciocavallo Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Anevato Cheese originates in Greece, while Caciocavallo Cheese comes from Italy. Anevato Cheese is made from goat or sheep milk; Caciocavallo Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Anevato Cheese is typically aged at least 2 months, Caciocavallo Cheese 2 to 12 months, up to 5 years.
Is Anevato Cheese similar to Caciocavallo Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Anevato Cheese for Caciocavallo Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Anevato Cheese taste like Caciocavallo Cheese?
Anevato Cheese reads as pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor, while Caciocavallo Cheese is slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex. Aromas also diverge. Anevato Cheese leans distinct milky aroma, and Caciocavallo Cheese is closer to earthy.
What is Anevato Cheese made of?
Anevato Cheese is made from goat or sheep milk (left at 64°–68°f to sour and curdle, rennet is optional), using optional rennet. It's typically aged at least 2 months. It originates in Greece.
What is Caciocavallo Cheese made of?
Caciocavallo Cheese is made from cow milk. It's typically aged 2 to 12 months, up to 5 years. It originates in Italy.
Which should I choose, Anevato Cheese or Caciocavallo Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Anevato Cheese is soft, spreadable with a grainy texture, while Caciocavallo Cheese is firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly.