These cheeses are also called spreadable, curd cheeses. Fresh cheeses are lightly pressed and not aged. They have a soft texture. Pasty cheeses are very similar to cottage cheese and, in essence, they are.
As in the case of other cheeses, to obtain a soft unripened cheese, first of all, rennet or its vegetable substitute is mixed into milk for souring and left for a while. After that, the resulting cheese mass is placed in gauze bags or special perforated vessels – so that the whey can drain. They are not pressed or salted. The result is a rather watery cheese with a milky flavor.
MAIN REPRESENTATIVES OF CURD CHEESE
ricotta
Traditional Italian cheese made from fresh cow’s milk. Without it, it is impossible to imagine almost any Italian dish – ravioli, lasagna, vegetables and desserts.
ricotta означает заново вскипяченный, что указывает на способ приготовления сыра После удаления сырной массы из сыворотки в ней ещё остаются кусочки мякоти. To extract them, the whey is boiled again until they float. Then these pieces of cheese mass are taken out and they ripen for several days.
Молодой ricotta имеет кисловатый нежный вкус. In Frioli they smoke it. Other popular varieties of this cheese consist of a milk mixture with herbs and peppers. В Калабрии существует вегетарианский тип сыра ricotta – молоко для него свертывается с помощью сока из веток фигового дерева.
Mozzarella
An Italian cheese traditionally made from buffalo milk. Traditionally served sliced ​​with tomatoes, basil and olive oil.
Свернувшееся молоко в теплой воде становится эластичным и в конце концов распадается на волокна, а те попадая в горячую воду сворачиваются в шарики – которые и представляет из себя сыр Mozzarella.
The cheese has a snow-white color with the smell of milk and a sour taste. Such cheese is sold in whey or brine and its shelf life is short. There is also smoked Mozaerlla, which is stored longer.
Currently, there are many types of this cheese, which are made from cow’s milk. Their taste has little to do with buffalo mozzarella.
Feta
This is a traditional Greek cheese, the manufacturing process of which is described in Homer’s Odyssey. Настоящий сыр Feta готовится из овечьего молока, а не из козьего или bovine – like its many analogues.
The old recipe for making this cheese is very simple: fresh milk was poured into a bag from the stomach of a goat, sometimes resin from fig tree branches was added. Nowadays, sourdough is added to milk to make it curdle faster. After draining the whey, the wet cheese mass is placed in linen bags and pressed. After drying, the cheese mass is cut and placed in brine for at least a month. The longer the cheese sits there, the harder it becomes.
Mascarpone
This fresh cream cheese is one of the characteristic cheeses of the Italian cheese industry in the suburbs of Milan. Сыр Mascarpone не имеет аналогов в мире. It is oily and soft, resembling butter in appearance. Mascarpone обладает удивительным нежным вкусом и идеально подходит для приготовления различных блюд, например такого известного десерта как Тирамису.