Burrino

Burrino is a traditional cheese hailing from Basilicata, but it's also produced using similar techniques in Campania, Molise, and Calabria. The cheese consists of an exterior layer of soft cheese and an interior of butter from the whey.

The cheese is made from Podolica cow's milk, while the butter is chilled and inserted into the cheese. Burrino is shaped into a string purse (or a pear), and it's tied near the top before it's immersed in hot water. The texture is creamy, while the aromas are pungent.

Burrino ripens for several weeks, and it's usually consumed by eating the butter on bread first, followed by the cheese. It's believed that the cheese was invented before refrigeration in order to preserve butter from going rancid.