Ricotta Salata Cheese
Ricotta Salata Cheese
Ricotta Salata is an Italian cheese made from the whey part of sheep milk, which is pressed, salted and aged for at least 90 days. It is milky white with a firm texture and salty taste.
During the seasoning, the ricotta loses 50% of water and becomes a cheese with a longer shelf life, also due to the effect of the salt. Some varieties are subjected to smoking, taking their characteristic aroma.
Salted ricotta has the shape of traditional ricotta, the straw-yellow surface, while the inside is whitish. It has a very characteristic taste of whey, made more intense by seasoning and is slightly salty. It is mainly used grated on pasta or other preparations.
Product characteristics
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The shape, generally truncated-conical depends on that of the "fiscella" where the ricotta is placed; the consistency is soft and creamy, the color is white.
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The delicate smell of whey stands out on the nose.
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The taste is sweet and sweet.
Nutritional properties
Ricotta Salata Cheese, having lost more than 50% of water during the seasoning phase, is more caloric than fresh ricotta, but it is still a low-calorie cheese, especially when compared with pecorino or Parmesan.
The nutritional values are important for the supply of high biological quality proteins, highly assimilable calcium and vitamins B1, B2, PP, and A. It also contains good quantities of sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Nutritional values per 100 g
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Energy 279 Kcal / 1,157 Kj
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Fat 23 g
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Saturated fat 15 g
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Carbohydrates 2 g
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Sugars 2 g
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Protein 18 g
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Salt 3.1 g
Origins
The techniques underlying its processing have remained the traditional ones held by shepherds. The island's dairy knowledge, combined with strict compliance with hygiene regulations and modern technology, allows today to obtain this pecorino, safe and rich in the variety of tastes and aromas characteristic of our territory.
The original Sicilian recipe included the ingredients of the Molise tradition. Today, Ricotta Salata Cheese still preserve Molise tradition:
Ricotta Salata Cheese is a lean, short-matured and soft-paste dairy product. It is not, in reality, a cheese but a by-product of milk processing. It is obtained from the whey deriving from the processing of the cheese.
It is a cylindrical product with a white or dark crust if covered with a layer of bran. It is a semi-hard, crumbly and salty-flavored cheese. Being a particularly salty cheese, it allows its conservation for longer periods.
For the production of Ricotta Salata Cheese whey is used that is derived from the processing of cheese. This is heated and, once at the right temperature, is combined with an adjuvant to allow the whey to acidify quickly, allowing the whey protein to reach the surface.
The product is left for a few minutes and then collected to be placed on wooden and salted surfaces. The maturing of this type of ricotta takes place in the natural caves of the Murgia. Some types of this cheese are covered with durum wheat bran and have a longer maturation of at least 30 days.
Production techniques and environments.
Born from the need to preserve the otherwise perishable fresh product, the term "ricotta" derives from the specific production technique which consists of cooking the whey with the addition of a quantity of whole milk.
Produced with traditional methods and historical tools; after production it remains in the tab for about 24 hours to allow the whey to drain and, at the same time, to take on the right consistency. Stay out of the tab for 48 hours to allow for further drying. The salting is done by hand by carefully sprinkling the entire surface with salt; once this operation is completed, the superfluous salt is eliminated. Seasoning takes place on wooden shelves in well-ventilated areas.
Pairings
Ricotta Salata Cheese is one of the most important ingredients of Sicilian cuisine. An example is the pasta alla norma, whose authentic recipe calls for a tasty simple tomato sauce enriched with fried eggplant slices and a generous handful of salted ricotta.
Ricotta Salata Cheese goes perfectly with the red wines typical of the Sicilian land. Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Etna Rosso are particularly suitable to better appreciate salted ricotta.
It should be eaten fresh, ideal as an ingredient for the preparation of typical dishes.
Storage
Store Ricotta Salata Cheese in a cool, dry place at temperatures between 8-10 ° C. Shelf life 3 months. Once opened, the package must be kept in the fridge and consumed in a short time.
This is one of Italy's most unusual and the least understood sheep's milk cheese. The words 'Ricotta' means re-cooked and 'Salata' means salted. Ricotta Salata is an Italian cheese made from the whey part of sheep milk, which is pressed, salted and aged for at least 90 days. It is milky white in color with firm texture and salty taste.
Suggestion: Use Ricotta Salata cheese to dice into salads of all kinds particularly pasta salads and spinach salads, or serve with fresh or grilled vegetables, beans or fruit. It is ideal for tossing, slicing, crumbling and grating.
Weight: Half Wheel 4.5 to 5lb ( 2 to 2.3kg) - WEIGHT APPROXIMATES
Full Wheel 9 to 10lb (4 to 4.6kg) - WEIGHT APPROXIMATES
Ingredients: Sheep’s milk whey, salt
Packaging: Vacuum-sealed Plastic
Aging: 3 month
Flavor: Salty
Texture: Semi-soft, firm
Color: White
Aroma: Pungent
Region: Sicily
Product of Italy
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING:
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and/or birth defects as well as other reproductive harm. For more information please go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov/food