A domestic ricotta salata that holds its own against Italy’s finest! Most American ricotta is whole milk ricotta, or as cheesemaker Rynn Caputo calls it, just ‘cotta’. It’s just milk that has been heated and curdled. In Italian, ‘ricotta’ literally translates to ‘re-cooked’ which is what they do with the whey after making Pecorino Romano to make Italian ricotta. The texture of true Italian ricotta is a world away from its domestic counterpart - it is custardy, smooth and eggy. Caputo Brothers Creamery makes their ricotta from they whey left over from making their mozzarella curd. The ricotta is drained and aged in their cave, during which time it develops a funky, gray-ish purple mold on the rind. The rinds are rubbed down before shipping, but the signature ‘funk’ of the cave is evident upon first bite. The cheese is salty, lactic, and crumbly and has a pleasant hint of earthy, barnyard funk.
Cheese Care
