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Cheese from Italy, Campania, province of Avellino, the mountain areas of the Ufita and Ofanto valleys, Terminio–Cervialto and the Alta Irpinia

Caciocavallo irpino di grotta

Caciocavallo irpino di grotta is a round pasta filata cheese from the mountains of Irpinia, made mostly from the milk of Brown cows and aged in caves cut into the tuff. After at least 45–60 days of drying in cool rooms, the cheeses hang in pairs in caves kept at 10–15 °C and 80–90% humidity, for up to two years. The cave microclimate and microflora shape its grassy, floral and spicy aroma.

Fully documentedCheese3 months – 2.2 yearsCampania traditional food product (PAT)Family: Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo fixed amounts are given. The regional sheet fixes the drying time and the cave conditions.
Whole cow milk, evening and morning milkingsCows at pasture in spring and summer, then farm forage and meal; no silage[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Whey starterRequired as a selected, traditional whey starter when the milk is pasteurised[pat-sheet][formaggio-it]
Lamb rennet paste or calf rennet[onaf-sheet]
Salt, as brine[onaf-sheet]
Starterwhey starter; lamb rennet paste or calf rennet

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 months – 2.2 years

Start
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36–38 °C

What changes: Whey starter and rennet go into the mixed milkings, warmed to 36–38 °C

Step 1 of 8
Add whey starter and rennet
Time
25–30 min
Reported
Temperature
36–38 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

The cooled evening milk is joined with the morning milk and warmed before the starter and rennet go in.

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

Caciocavallo irpino di grotta is a round pasta filata cheese from the mountains of Irpinia, made mostly from the milk of Brown cows and aged in caves cut into the tuff. After at least 45–60 days of drying in cool rooms, the cheeses hang in pairs in caves kept at 10–15 °C and 80–90% humidity, for up to two years. The cave microclimate and microflora shape its grassy, floral and spicy aroma. Made in 8 steps over 3 months – 2.2 years. The longest step, age in tuff caves, takes 45 days – 2 years (Regione Campania 2026) and runs at 10–15 °C (Regione Campania 2026). Lactic flora of the raw milk, or of a selected whey starter when the milk is pasteurised does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step45 days – 2 yearsReported[pat-sheet]Age in tuff caves
Temperature10–15 °CReported[pat-sheet]Age in tuff caves

What makes this one different

Irpinian caciocavallo is aged in caves cut into tuff, or tuff and stone, held at 10–15 °C and 80–90% humidity all year. It goes in only after 45–60 days of drying and can stay up to two years.

Rind
Clean, smooth, straw to light brown; light white mould traces
Size
Usually about 2 kg, up to 10 kg; spheroid with head
Season
Made all year; most milk and the best cheese in spring and summer, when cows are at pasture

Related ferments

Safety

The regional sheet allows pasteurised milk if a selected whey starter restores the traditional lactic flora, and says this gives a high level of microbiological safety. The regional notes name Staphylococcus aureus as a risk of raw milk, handled by testing the milk and good hygiene. Where the milk is raw, ANSES advises pregnant women, young children, people over 65 and people with weak immunity not to eat such a cheese, because of Listeria, Salmonella and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus, named with high total counts and somatic cells as the risk of using raw milk.

History and sources

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

In 1925 the Granese dairy of Montella showed Irpinian caciocavallo at the Fiume fair, and a caciocavallo festival has been held in Vallata since the 1970s.

  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura, Prodotti tradizionali, Caciocavallo irpino di grotta (updated 16 February 2026)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), Caciocavallo Irpino di grotta cheese sheet, with the Regione Campania notesweb
  3. [formaggio-it] Formaggio.it, Caciocavallo Irpino di grotta P.A.T. (page saved October 2019; copy hosted by ONAF)web
  4. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov