Caciotta is an aged or semi-aged soft cheese in a cylinder shape with a distinct taste made from any type of milk. The origins of this cheese are actually quite recent. Initially, it was made mostly with sheep's milk during the colder months, and then it was also prepared with different types of milk, depending on the region. This cheese was invented mainly as an alternative to pecorino – with the aim of making a product that was sweeter and more delicate, but also faster and easier to prepare. Serve it on a charcuterie plate, eat it fresh in vegetable-based appetizers or with fresh and dried fruits. Then there’s always the option of using it as an exquisite ingredient for savory pies!
In Italy, there are many types of specialty caciotta cheese – from the‘affogato’ (‘drowned’) the ‘colorato’ (‘colored’) varieties to the ‘aromatizzato’ version (‘herb-flavored’). Among the many regional caciotta recipes, however, there are some particularly renowned varieties, which stand out for their originality and excellent quality. Let’s start with the most important ones.
A guide to the most famous caciotta cheese varieties in Italy
Italian caciotta can be made with cow's milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk, buffalo milk or even a mix of these. The most appreciated ones? Scattered throughout Italy with different characteristics.
The most well-known style of caciotta-making comes from Tuscany, where they make it with a mixture of (60-90%) pasteurized cow's milk and sheep's milk. It features a sweet taste and a soft texture (almost like a paste) and, locally, they eat it fresh – often accompanied by cold regional cold cuts. Also worth mentioning is the caciotta di pecora toscana PAT, which has been awarded the recognition of being a Traditional Agrifood Product. (‘PAT’ is the regulatory committee’s Italian acronym.)
Second only to Tuscany is the region of Lazio when it comes to authentic caciotta cheese. Here, they make the caciotta romana PAT, produced mainly in the Agro Romano area and based on sheep's milk, which adds a bit of flavor to the typical sweetness of this cheese. It can be eaten either fresh (as an ingredient of with veal and arugula in a sandwich, for example) or seasoned and combined with fava beans as an alternative to pecorino romano.
The only Italian caciotta cheese that has been recognized the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) is the Casciotta di Urbino in 1996. This cheese, typical of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, is made with 70-80% sheep's milk and the remaining 20-30% is made with cow's milk. Characterized by a soft paste-like texture and a sweet milky taste, it lends itself to many gastronomic possibilities. For example, combine it with cold cuts, sausage, fresh vegetables, and Ascoli olives.
Also worthy of note is the Sicilian variety – the Caciotta degli Elimi PAT – a semi-cooked sheep's cheese typical of the province of Trapani – from the Belice Valley in particular. The distinguishing factor for this caciotta is its ancient origins and its particular processing technique that includes a 30-day maturation.
The strangest types of caciotta
Caciotta, as well as other types of cheese, can be seasoned and flavored with other ingredients. Among the most famous and particular are the goat cheese caciotta campana with red pepper and the Umbrian variety with truffle added as an ingredient. There is also caciotta with onion, black pepper, and aromatic herbs, smoked caciotta or caciotta ‘affogato’ (‘drowned’) in red wine from various regions.
Finally, typical of Siena and its surrounding areas is a caciotta with a tomato crust and a characteristically red color once used as a symbol for the Christian “blood of the lamb.”