Variety is often said to be the spice of life. This is certainly the case when it comes to cheese. There exist hundreds, if not even thousands of different types of cheese. In Italy alone, there is thought to be more than 450 different varieties of cheese and the former French president Charles de Gaulle famously posed the question of how to govern a country of 246 varieties of cheese.

Different types of cheese can even have many sub-varieties. This is true for Caciocavallo, which has a basic way of producing the cheese that can then be varied depending on the region in which it is made to produce many different Caciocavallo cheeses, hence a cheese of many faces!

The Basic Starting Point

Milk is heated and has rennet (an enzyme that catalyzes the curdling process) added to it. After a time, usually up to an hour, the milk coagulates. That is to say that the solid protein part of the milk begins to separate from the liquid whey part. This results in a gel that needs to be broken up often using a ‘spino’, which is like a large fork.

The solid produced, called ‘curd’, now needs to be further broken down and left to mature, either in hot whey or hot water or even by being taken out of the liquid and left on a board for several hours. In any case, gradually the acidity of the curd increases causing it to be firmer and elastic.

The elastic curd can now be moulded and kneaded until it forms a characteristic teardrop shape. It is then left in a brine bath in order to absorb salt which preserves it.

Finally, the cheeses are tied at one end into pairs which can then be hung out to further dry and mature. Traditionally, they were often hung in caves, but these days more likely they are hung in a cool room.

The Caciocavallo Family

As already mentioned, using the above method with some variations, different types of Caciocavallo cheese can be made. Here are some of the family members:

Caciocavallo di Agnone

Unsurprisingly, this is Caciocavallo that is produced in and around the town of Agnone in the Molise region of Southern Italy. It is a fairly standard version of this type of cheese, coming in a milder or more piquant taste depending on whether the cheese has been curdled with lamb or kid rennet. It can be aged from between three months to a year.

Caciocavallo Silano DOP

This cheese has been made for a long time, with documentation existing from at least the Middle Ages. There are many areas in Southern Italy that have the official right to produce it (hence the DOP title awarded it on 1^st July 1996). As the DOP covers such a large area, it can include both small-scale traditional cheesemakers as well as industrial productions of the cheese.

The secret of Caciocavallo Silano is that after the milk is curdled, the curds are left out on a board or in a bucket for several days. This increases acidity. It is then stretched and salted and left in a cellar to mature. It develops a characteristic ivory rind with a golden yellow, crumbly and tangy to taste body inside. It is often eaten on its own or used in the dish called, ‘Pasta China’ made in the Cosenza region.

Caciocavallo del Monaco

Contrary to how it might sound, we have not deviated on to French or other types of cheese! Monaco is, in fact, Italian for Monk, so we can surmise that this cheese was in the past the handy work of certain monasteries (although alternative theories exist, such as Monaco being derived from the name of a tool used in its production).

In any case, the cheese itself is made with kid’s rennet. The final product has a straw yellow to pale brown colour and is hard with a very piquant taste and a strong aroma. It has a less pronounced teardrop shape than other Caciocavallo types as the body of the cheese is tied up rather than just the neck.

Caciocavallo Podolico Alburni

Podolico is a type of cattle found mainly in Southern Italy. They are distinctive because of their grey colour and there are probably less than 100,000 alive. Thus, Caciocavallo Podolico is Caciocavallo cheese made with milk from Podolico cows.

Podolico cows are taken in the summer months to graze high up on mountains. The cows consume not just grass but also mountain plants such as blueberries, rosehip, juniper and wild strawberries. These are said to influence the properties of the milk produced; it is even claimed that cows who have grazed on strawberries produce cheese with a reddish hew.

Due to the fact that not so many Podolico cows exist, this cheese is more of a specialist product so can be expensive.

Caciocavallo Podolico Picentino

This cheese originated in the Campania region of Southern Italy. It is made in municipalities including Montella, Ariano Irpino, Chiusano San Domenico, Vallata, Zungoli and Lacedonia.

It is a stretched curd cheese (as indeed are all Caciocavallo types), meaning that after the curd is separated from the whey, it is cut and left in warm whey to ripen. After several hours it has firmed and can now be stretched and moulded in hot water into a characteristic teardrop shape.

Traditionally the production process began on the mountain slopes where the Podolico cows were grazing. Once the cheese was formed, the cow herders who were making it tied two together and hung them over a piece of wood to begin the ageing process. Eventually, they were carried down off the mountain where the ageing process could continue.

Both Alburni and Picentino are similar cheeses but made in different places with regional variations. The Alburni variety is darker in colour (hence the name!). They are eaten as table cheeses (i.e. on their own without cooking or adding to other dishes).

Picentino can be mild or tangy to taste depending on how long it has been matured for.

Take Your Pick!

As you can see, Caciocavallo comes in many different types. The differences resulting from the same basic cheese making method being applied in different places with regional variations.

Whatever you say about variety,  certainly there is a range of Caciocavallos to please different tastes! It is also a reminder of the beauty of diversity in the Lord’s wonderful creation!