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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Italy, Lazio

Cacioricotta di bufala

Buffalo milk is heated to 85–90 °C, left to cool and set with calf rennet at 36–38 °C, so the whey proteins stay in the curd, half cheese and half ricotta. The curd is broken small, cooked to 45 °C, packed into baskets and dry-salted. The small cheeses ripen at least 60 days, up to a year, in glass or earthenware jars. Made in 8 steps over 2 months – 12 months. The longest step, ripen in jars, takes 2–12 months (ARSIAL (Lazio regional agency for agricultura…) and runs at 4 °C (ARSIAL (Lazio regional agency for agricultura…). Lactic bacteria of the acidified whey starter does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–12 monthsSet[arsial-cacioricotta]Ripen in jars
Temperature4 °CSet[arsial-cacioricotta]Ripen in jars
Fully documentedCheese2 months – 12 monthsTraditional food product (PAT, Lazio)Family: Whey-cooked rennet curd family (halloumi type)More whey-cooked cheesesMore from Italy

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe sheet gives temperatures and times but no batch size. Each cheese weighs 100–300 g.
Whole buffalo milk · Chilled to 4 °C, or worked within 2 hours of milking[arsial-cacioricotta]
Acidified whey starter from earlier makes · Named on the ONAF sheet only[onaf-sheet]
Calf liquid rennet[arsial-cacioricotta]
Salt · Rubbed on dry[arsial-cacioricotta]
Starter: acidified whey starter from earlier makes (ONAF sheet)

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months – 12 months

Start
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85–90 °C

What changes: The milk is heated to 85–90 °C, then cools on its own

Step 1 of 8
Heat the milk hot, then let it cool
Time
Not documented
Temperature
85–90 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

The high heat brings the whey proteins into the curd, as in ricotta.

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

What makes this one different

A cacioricotta made from buffalo milk. The milk is heated almost to boiling before the rennet goes in, which keeps the whey proteins in the curd; the cheeses then ripen in jars rather than on shelves.

Rind
Fairly thin; white or straw, turning brown with age
Size
Cylinder, 100–300 g, side 6–8 cm
Season
All year, mostly autumn and winter (ONAF)

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is heated to 85–90 °C before renneting, and the cheeses ripen at least 60 days. The Lazio list marks it as allowed to use derogations from the standard hygiene rules for its traditional methods.

History and sources

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

Each buffalo-farming family once made it and stored it as a reserve, and used it as a bargaining good when setting the price of buffalo milk.

  1. [arsial-cacioricotta] ARSIAL (Lazio regional agency for agricultural development), Lazio patrimonio agroalimentare, tra biodiversità e tradizione, PAT sheet 'Cacioricotta di bufala', p. 154gov
  2. [pat-lazio] Regione Lazio and ARSIAL, PAT Lazio 2026, Lazio section of the national list of traditional agri-food products (law 238/2016, art. 12), no. 90 'Cacioricotta di bufala*' (* = hygiene derogation)gov
  3. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (national organisation of cheese tasters), technical sheet 'Cacioricotta di bufala'web