Bitto Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Bitto Cheese is a fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year cow and goat-milk cheese from Italy, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat milk.
What Is Bitto Cheese?
Bitto is a raw-milk PDO cheese from the alpine pastures of Sondrio in Lombardy, made only between 1 June and 30 September from cow's milk, sometimes with up to 10 percent goat's milk. Young wheels taste mild and sweet, and some are aged for years.
What Is Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Bitto Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Bitto Cheese (Cow's milk primarily, with non-mandatory addition of raw goat’s milk up to 10%), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Texture: Bitto Cheese (fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Bitto Cheese (smooth, 2 to 4 mm thick, straw-yellow turning brownish yellow with age), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Bitto Cheese (Minimum of 70 days), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Bitto Cheese (mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Bitto Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Italy | — |
| Specific Origin | Province Of Sondrio, Lombardy, Including Neighboring Upland Pastures Of Lecco And Bergamo | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk primarily, with non-mandatory addition of raw goat’s milk up to 10% | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | Smooth, 2 to 4 mm thick, straw-yellow turning brownish yellow with age | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | Minimum of 70 days | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Bitto Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. More specifically, Bitto Cheese shows cooked at 118–126°f, finely cut curd, matured for a minimum of 70 days, while Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Bitto Cheese at minimum of 70 days develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Bitto Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Bitto Cheese can stand in for Picodon Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year bite and body where the recipe calls for homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Bitto Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year cheese, go with Bitto Cheese. For a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Bitto Cheese suits recipes that want mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bitto Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Bitto Cheese is made from cow and goat milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Bitto Cheese is typically aged minimum of 70 days, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Bitto Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Bitto Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Bitto Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
What is Bitto Cheese made of?
Bitto Cheese is made from cow and goat milk (raw), using calf rennet. It's typically aged minimum of 70 days. It originates in Italy.
What is Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Bitto Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Bitto Cheese is fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.