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Cheese from Italy, Abruzzo

Cacio di vacca biancaCacio di vacca bianco

A caciotta of Abruzzo made from the raw milk of Marchigiana and Podolica cows, using milk the calves do not need and the milk left after weaning. The milk is warmed to 36–38 °C, sometimes with a whey or milk starter, set with calf rennet in 20–30 minutes, broken to hazelnut size and warmed again to 40–45 °C. The curd is pressed by hand into rush baskets, salted dry and dried on shelves in cool, airy rooms.

Fully documentedCheese31 days – 6 monthsPAT (traditional agri-food product of Abruzzo)Family: Uncooked or semi-cooked pressed cheese family (tomme, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Morbier, Raclette)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo amounts are recorded; the method varies with local habit. Wheels weigh 0.8–2 kg.
Raw whole cow milkMostly Marchigiana or Podolica; milk left over while calves suckle and after weaning[pat-sheet]
Whey starter or milk starter (optional)Brings a thermophilic lactic flora to help souring; the whey of one make is kept for the next[pat-sheet]
Calf rennetPowder dissolved in water, or liquid; dosed by its strength and the milk's acidity[pat-sheet]
SaltRubbed on dry[pat-sheet]
Starteroptional whey or milk starter (thermophilic lactic flora)

Total time across the recorded steps: 31 days – 6 months

Start
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36–38 °C

What changes: Raw cow milk is filtered into the kettle and warmed, sometimes with a starter

Step 1 of 7
Filter and warm the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
36–38 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

A caciotta of Abruzzo made from the raw milk of Marchigiana and Podolica cows, using milk the calves do not need and the milk left after weaning. The milk is warmed to 36–38 °C, sometimes with a whey or milk starter, set with calf rennet in 20–30 minutes, broken to hazelnut size and warmed again to 40–45 °C. The curd is pressed by hand into rush baskets, salted dry and dried on shelves in cool, airy rooms. Made in 7 steps over 31 days – 6 months. The longest step, wash, dry and ripen on shelves, takes 30 days – 6 months (ONAF).

Key numbers
Main step30 days – 6 monthsReported[onaf-sheet]Wash, dry and ripen on shelves
Temperature36–38 °CReported[pat-sheet]Filter and warm the milk

What makes this one different

It is made from the milk of Marchigiana or Podolica cows, from what the suckling calves leave and above all the milk after weaning, in very small amounts for home use or local sale; the ONAF sheet lists production all year. The curd is warmed a second time to 40–45 °C.

Size
0.8–2 kg; cylinder ø 12–20 cm, height 7–12 cm
Rind
White when fresh, straw-yellow when ripened, marked by the rush baskets

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fresco (incerata)About 30 days; soft, elastic; the rind turns glossy and yellowish, hence the name incerata (waxed).
  • SemistagionatoHarder, straw-yellow.

Safety

Made from raw milk; the fresh type is sold after about a month. ANSES advises pregnant women, people over 65, young children and people with weak immunity not to eat raw-milk cheese.

Hazards the sources name: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, the main hazards ANSES names for raw-milk cheeses.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The regional sheet cites accounts of the Ospedale S. Salvatore of L'Aquila from the late 1600s, where beef and fresh cheeses appear alongside similar sheep cheeses, as a sign of how old cheesemaking is in Abruzzo. It also cites writings of 1885 and 1888 that praise the local cheese production. The Marchigiana was long kept for milk, meat and work, and its milk was made into caciotte.

  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Abruzzo, Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali, scheda Cacio di vacca biancogov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF, Cacio di vacca bianca, technical sheet (PAT Abruzzo)web
  3. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov