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Best Campanian Semi-hard Cheese Types
Produced since the 1700s by the shepherds who lived on the Lattari Mountains, the largest milk production area around Naples and Vico Equense, Provolone del Monaco is a melon-shaped, semi-hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. Since the shepherds of Lattari used to wear long, hooded cowls, it was believed that Provolone was produced by monks, hence its name.
With at least 20% of milk for the cheese production coming from the endangered Agerolese dairy cattle breed, Provolone del Monaco is characterized by the exceptional quality of its spun paste. It has a sweet and buttery flavor, with a pleasantly piquant aftertaste that becomes stronger with aging.
Caciocavallo dell'emigrante is a traditional cheese originating from Salerno. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk (sometimes sheep's milk) and it's stuffed with soppressata. The texture is smooth and semi-hard, while the flavor is delicate, milky, and complex.
The cheese is usually aged from 60 days to over 12 months. The soppressata was hidden inside the cheese because the migrants from Salerno wanted to take the meat to the United States, but the practice was illegal. However, you could bring cheese so the migrants hid the meat inside of the caciocavallo.
Casoperuto is a traditional cheese hailing from Sessa Aurunca (Caserta). The cheese dates back to the classical age, and it's made from January to July using goat's milk and dried vegetable rennet. The curd is milled, washed, drained by hand, then placed into plastic molds and salted.
The cheese is then rubbed with vinegar, oil, and thyme before it's placed into a glass or clay container. Casoperuto is typically left to mature from 10 to 12 months in cellars, where it's often moistened with vinegar. The cheese is highly aromatic, while the flavors are tangy and strong.
Cacioricotta Caprino del Cilento is a soft cheese from the Campanian province of Salerno, produced around the area of Cilento National Park. Made with a mixture of sheep and goat milk, by combining two techniques of cheese-making, cacioricotta is a cross between a cheese and fresh ricotta, with a unique flavor coming from the aromatic herbs that free-range animals feed on.
It can be enjoyed fresh or left to mature for 2-3 months. This highly appreciated delicacy is best enjoyed on its own, served with some homemade bread, or grated over popular local dishes such as cavatelli or fusilli al ragù di castrato.
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