ABRUZZO CHEESES
Amongst the many varieties of pecorino cheese, cheese from the village of Farindola merits a special mention. The village is located on the slopes of the Gran Sasso, not far from Penne and Loreto Aprutino. It is a very strong type of pecorino born with the help of rennet taken from a pig’s stomach cut into strips and then “bottled” with red wine.
Although now a rarity, salamis in the Abruzzi are made not only from pork but also from sheep. One of the areas where this tradition survives is Anversa degli Abruzzi, a small village located between the Parco Nazionale di Abruzzo and the Parco Nazionale della Maiella, near Scanno. Soft Pecorino: a sheep’s milk cheese. Aged for a few days. Soft and easy to cut. Hard pecorino: a sheep’s milk cheese.
Aged for at least 6 months up to two years. Hard cheese, not very easy to cut but perfect for grating, with a sharp and pungent flavour. Cacio cavallo or caciocavallo: the Italian name of the cheese caciocavallo means “Cheese on horseback”. The name comes from the fact that the curd is left to dry by placing it ‘a cavallo’, i.e. straddling, upon a horizontal stick. This cheese is shaped like a tear-drop or a hanging man and is similar in taste to aged provolone. It is very popular also in the nearby region of Molise, especially in the town of Agnone. Caciotta d’Abruzzo: cow’s milk or sheep’s milk or a combination of the two. Aged for just for less than a month. It’s a soft cheese and it is a common one.
Very easy to match to any kind of food. Scamorza: an excellent cheese for baking or stuffing or pizza topping. Belongs to the mozzarella family. It is a plastic curd cheese. It’s a fresh cheese and the shelf life is about 4-5 days. Scamorza affumicata: smoked scamorza. See above description. It’s a great cheese for people looking for a mild smoked flavoured cheese.
Caciottina al tartufo: small caciotta, with shredded truffle inside Caciotta al peperoncino: Cheese with shredded dry peperoncino inside. Not very spicy.