SMOKED CACIOCAVALLO

Smoked Caciocavallo is a traditional stretched-curd cheese of southern Italy, mainly made from whole or raw cow’s milk. Its name comes from the ancient tradition of ageing this cheese by hanging it in pairs of two on wooden poles. For Smoked Caciocavallo, it was traditionally ripened near fireplaces to obtain the smoke taste and then aged in cool, ventilated rooms or caves for up to a year.

Caciocavallo has a characteristic shape that makes it very recognisable: round and elongated with a sort of ‘head’. The rind of this cheese is quite thin, medium to hard, with a dark bronze colour.

Inside, the paste has a straw-yellow colour which becomes more intense with the maturation process.

It has a delicate flavour accompanied by slightly more persistent notes due to the smoking and maturing process, also recognisable in the aroma, where the scent of cooked milk and the hints of herbs can be noticed.

Processing

The production of this cheese requires the addition of lamb rennet to the raw milk. The curd is cut with a wooden pin. The mixture is then separated from the whey by draining it and acidifying it, then spun with wooden ladles in the boiling whey.

The stretching is the basic process that distinguishes these types of cheese. Immediately after stretching, when the cheese is still soft, it is hand-formed into its typical pear shape. The cheese is then salted in brine.

Finally, the cheeses are tied in pairs and hung on wooden boards. During the ageing process, the cheeses are smoked with the fumes obtained from burning wood and straw.

How to enjoy it

Smoked Caciocavallo has a distinctive taste and is an excellent cheese served fresh, cut into cubes, on a charcuterie board with mixed cold cuts and rustic bread. It is a very popular ingredient for sandwiches or Piadinas, thinly sliced and served with cured meats such as cooked ham, pork bresaola or salami Milano.

It is also delicious with sweet fruit such as apricots, prunes or pears, to furtherly bring out its flavour.

Many people appreciate it more when baked, au gratin or pan-fried. These types of cooking allow you to fully enjoy its softness and texture, in addition to preparing tasty and original recipes.

Smoked Caciocavallo is an excellent cheese to use for oven-baked pasta recipes, as an alternative to the classic parmigiana, for example, made with pumpkin, speck and smoked caciocavallo.

It is also delicious eaten by itself as a main dish or appetiser when baked in a terrine with just the addition of herbs such as fresh thyme.

The perfect combination

We recommend pairing this cheese with a still red wine made from Aglianico grapes, such as Aglianico del Vulture D.O.C. or Taurasi D.O.C.G.