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Caciocavallo Cheese
About Caciocavallo Cheese
Caciocavallo is a traditional Italian cheese made primarily from cow's milk, although some versions use sheep's milk. It has a distinctive teardrop shape and a smooth, golden rind. This semi-hard cheese is aged for two to six months and has a mild, slightly tangy flavor that becomes more pronounced with age.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Specific Origin | Apennine mountain range |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Rind | Smooth, thickens with age |
| Texture | Firm to semihard, chewy to crumbly |
| Flavor | Slightly sweet to sharp, piquant, complex |
| Aroma | Earthy |
| Colors | White to rich yellow |
| Forms | Teardrop or gourd |
| Age | 2 to 12 months, up to 5 years |
What is Caciocavallo Cheese?
Caciocavallo, a pasta filata cheese from Southern Italy, is known for its distinctive teardrop shape. Originating centuries ago, it's made from cow's or sheep's milk, sometimes goat's or buffalo's. The name means "horse cheese," referring to how cheeses are traditionally cured, resembling saddlebags on a horse. Alternatively, it's thought to mean "bell cheese" due to its shape.
The cheese varies from fresh to aged, developing from slightly sweet and chewy to sharp, piquant, and crumbly with age. It features a smooth, thickening rind, sometimes washed with wine or flavored with truffles. Smoked varieties exist, and occasionally, it's stretched around butter or lemons.
Caciocavallo's taste and texture differ by region, influenced by milk type, the diet of the animals, and aging duration. Produced mainly in Italy's Apennine range, it's recognized by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture as a traditional food product, notably Caciocavallo Podolico, from the Podolica cow, and Caciocavallo Silano, with PDO status.
This cheese is integral to Southern Italian cuisine, used in various dishes from stuffed pastas to grilled or fried, and served as a table cheese. Despite its roots in Southern Italy, caciocavallo is enjoyed nationwide and globally, available in specialty shops and online.
