Cheese Kachotta: description, calorie content and subtleties of use

The most popular cheese in Italy is the table variety Cachotta.It’s hard to imagine a traditional dish of this cuisine without the addition of grated or melted cheese. In our domestic markets, there is also a similar variety, and in this article you can find a description of this product.

Kachotta is a truly traditional farm cheese produced in the southern regions of Italy, in Umbria and Tuscany, for many decades. Interestingly, the name Kachotta is usually understood as a few soft cheeses, the birthplace of which is central Italy. They are called, perhaps, by one name, but outwardly considerably differ. Manufacturers produce small cheese (about 670 g) and medium (up to 1 200 g) size. The product has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 10 to 20 cm and a height of 5 to 10 cm.

Today, the resulting product goes under the brand Tre latte. Southern farmers had their own experimental method of making cheese from milk obtained from buffalo females. Cow milk can be found under the tipo dolce label, while sheep variety is denoted by tipo saporito / lazial.

Favorable season for creating the best Kachotta is spring. At this time, the field is occupied by blooming fragrant flowers. Such a factor could not be better reflected in the quality and milk of animals that walk and pour on the green meadows. Produced dairy product even has a special name - Cacio Marzolino, which translates as "March cheese". It has a peculiar sweetish taste and flowering aroma.

As for the characteristics of the cheese, it has a semi-soft texture and a creamy, dense texture. Taste depends on the conditions in which the product is mature, and, of course, on the duration of its exposure. Therefore, it can be felt sweet notes, even down to the piquant. The cheese is covered with a light yellowish crust, and the inside is pale yellow. Maintain the product in a cool, humid place with good air circulation. After the cheese has matured, it is placed in the refrigerator for further storage. It is important that it be wrapped in regular foil or cloth that is pre-wetted in a specially prepared brine. The shelf life is not so high - it dries quickly, so you need to eat it quickly.

It has reached us a lot of ways to cook Italian goat cheese. The basis of the product is made in the same way: coarse black pepper can be added to the cheese grain, a few grains of red. For a special aroma, experienced cheese-makers lubricate the surface with high-quality olive oil. There is a tradition, the basis of which is oil saving. Tomato comes to replace.

Sometimes the maturation of Kachotta takes place in earthen vessels. But the species Caciotta sotto il fieno is a process of ripening under hay. Its name is translated as “Kachotta under the hay”. Such a rare variety is really placed in a pile of hay to preserve the taste of fresh milk in it. This cheese can be safely called local.

Quatty with fenugreek is quite popular. This cheese has an interesting creamy-nutty flavor with a taste of mushrooms. Made from cow's milk. The consistency of it is dense, does not crumble. Usually combined with coffee and red varieties of dry wine. Walnut cheese made the addition of fenugreek seeds. This variety is very useful for the body.

Below are the highlights of the Stufatura cheese making process.

• Short mixing is required.During this time, the grain will not be filled with the required percentage of acid, and the whey will not have time to separate.
• The use of thermophilic starter.
• Placing the cheese dough in the mold, the head will begin to cool.
• The room must maintain a high temperature. Italians even use pots with boiling water to fill the room with steam. Hence the name of the process - stufatura, which in Italian means “steam”.

Italian Kachotta is not only a tasty, but also a useful kind of cheeses. An important difference from other varieties is low calorie content: 100 g of the product contains about 220 calories. This kind of cheese will be an excellent option for weightlifting women. The composition of the dairy product is filled with plenty of nutrients. Experts have proven that the absorption of proteins contained in Kachotte is much faster and more efficient (99%). The nutritional value of the product is as follows: proteins - 20.9 g, fat - 20.8 g, carbohydrates - 0.5 g

This variety of cheese can really be called a valuable nutritional product. Its usefulness is due to the presence of a variety of vitamins and important minerals. Regular consumption of cheese will strengthen the immune system, improve the functioning of each organ. Cheese is also quite nutritious, which will relieve a person from feeling hungry for a long time.

The chemical composition is represented by a list of vital elements:

• vitamins A, C, K, E, D, H, PP;
• representatives of group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12);
• beta carotene, choline;
• necessary for the body calcium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, iron, iodine, sulfur, zinc, chromium, selenium, silicon, chlorine, cobalt, copper, molybdenum.

The table of the inhabitants of Italy is always decorated with pieces of Cachotta Cheese is really versatile. It can be eaten raw, for example, with pieces of white bread, washed down with white Italian wine, for example, "Frascati" or "Verdichchio." That fruit notes of wine will be able to reveal all the richness of cheese. But also equally important will be its use for the preparation of various dishes of Italian cuisine. You can meet such a valuable ingredient in a melted or grated form in pizza, various types of pasta, risotto. More mature varieties look perfect in a cheese plate in combination with other soft cheeses, decorated with sweet peach or pear in addition to white varieties of sweet wines. On the shelves of stores can meet Kachotta with the addition of:

• black pepper;
• olives;
• capers;
• hazelnuts;
• pepperoni;
• black truffles.

There are several recipes for salads with the addition of farm cheese and baked ingredients. Below is an example of one of them.

Ingredients:

• green apple;
• Garnet;
• balsamic vinegar;
• roasted cacotta;
• thyme.

To make such a salad, you need to chop the cheese in small cubes, mix in the plate garlic, thyme and breadcrumbs. Put the cheese pieces there.

Then you need to fry the cheese in butter until crusted. In large dishes, mix apple slices with pomegranate seeds, sprinkle with green lettuce leaves. Then you need to pour a little balsamic vinegar. Now roasted cheese cubes can be spread over the salad.

To ensure the cheese freshness and excellent taste for a long time, you can select a place with a temperature of 7 degrees. Humidity level should not be less than 90%. An important factor is regular airing.

If it was decided to store a valuable product in the refrigerator, then it should be separated for him shelves not close to the freezer. Surprisingly, the vegetable and fruit lower compartments are ideal for this. Some housewives are used to putting a piece of cheese in the door shelves - this is wrong, as here it will be subject to a sharp temperature transfer due to the frequent opening of the door.

The product must be wrapped in a special packaging material or foil - this will relieve it from quick drying, as well as from the assimilation of foreign odors. Wrapping the paper too should not be - so it quickly dries out and degrades.

Full cheese ring can be stored from one month to one year. The shelf life of uncut Kachotta of a small size is one month. Cultivated varieties: with pepperoni and pepper - a month of ripening and 60 days of storage, Montazio - two months of ripening and 180 days.

After the cheese head is cut, the storage time will be reduced to 20 days. Having resorted to the food film, it is worth remembering that it should be changed much more often.

The business of cheese-makers is a rather complicated, but incredibly interesting process. The use of unique technologies of cheese making in combination with long traditions leads to tasty and flavorful cheeses. Italian Cachotta based on sheep, cow and goat milk worthily took its place among the best traditional varieties of Europe.

How to make Kachotta cheese at home, see the next video.