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From cow to plate, Caciocavallo Podolico cheese production explained

Sep 21 2017

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The Caciocavallo Podolico is a traditional cheese produced with cow’s milk from a specific breed of cattle living in designated areas of Puglia. Caciocavallo is a stretched curd cheese that is made by kneading curd whilst it’s still hot. This process makes the curd firm and elastic, but the Caciocavallo becomes quite hard as it ages.

The process:

The “creation” process of this cheese is difficult to describe – a delicate operation that requires practice and skills. It is produced throughout the year, but the full-pace production takes place from March to May only. The maturation time ranges from three months to over a year.

To really appreciate the love and craftsmanship going into each cheese, we broke them production process down into 10 steps:

  1. The first step is to acidify and heat the milk, the Caciocavallo Podolico is a Pasta Filata or stretched curd style in which the cheese proteins develop a unique character for forming long chains and will stretch out into long threads when heated.
  2. Once a small amount of lactic acid has been produced, rennet is added to develop a firm curd
  3. The curd is cut to release the whey and then stirred up
  4. The curd is heated again to reach desired moisture
  5. Then it is time to remove the whey and place the curd into draining bags
  6. The curds are then kept warm to achieve better flavor. This is a delicate step as the acid level and temperature needs to be perfect for the cheese to be able to stretch while keeping its shape later
  7. The stretch of the cheese realigns the proteins and gives it its unique texture
  8. The cheese is shaped by hand into its signature pear shape and then chilled in cold water
  9. The cheese goes into brine
  10. The final step is to hang the cheese to mature until ready to eat, usually aging about three months or more to reach the full and intense flavor that is associated with the Caciocavallo!
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How to enjoy it?

The Caciocavallo Podolico is often enjoyed paired with bread and honey, or simply on its own. You can of course also try a barbequed version, the so called “Caciocavallo Impiccato” or inside an oven with a clay pot of terracotta.  Adopt a cow now and share the love!

 

Posted by Editor · Categorized: General · Tagged: Caciocavallo Podolico, Caciocavallo Podolico cheese, Gourmet cheese, Italian cheese

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We have three #gifts for just about anyone... one We have three #gifts for just about anyone... one for foodies, one for the cheese lover, and one for your sweetie with a sweet tooth. What about your co-workers? Our boxes are perfect also as #corporategift options for your colleagues or clients. We ship promptly - just make sure to get your order in so we can send it out in time for the Holidays!
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The olive harvest is our favorite time of the year. Our 2020 Harvest was abundant - the weather conditions were fantastic, the amount of sunshine the olives got this year means a bountiful extra virgin olive oil. The fresher the oil, the better the flavor! We can't wait to share it with you this winter!

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This just in! Our Pugliese Caciocavallo is back in This just in! Our Pugliese Caciocavallo is back in stock after "flying off the shelves." Caciocavallo podolico is a semi-hard, pasta filata (pulled-curd) #cheese made of cow's milk from the podolica cow. Hung on a rope and aged to perfection, this cheese is a #uniquegift. Order soon, because we just don't know how long these will stay in stock!
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-1.5 oz Gin
-1/2 oz lime juice
-1/4 oz Masseria San Giusto Olive Oil
-1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Method: Shake in a shaker and strain over ice in a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lime peel.
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