Caciocavallo podolico

Caciocavallo podolico is a variety of Caciocavallo cheese. This pasta-filata cheese is made in southern Italy from the raw milk of Podolica cattle breed. The herds move up the mountains in June and feed on rosehips, juniper, blueberries, nettles, and wild strawberries, and the flavors can be tasted in the cheese.

This cheese is elongated and unusual in shape because when young, the cheeses are tied with a rope and hung over wooden rods to age for about 3 months up to a year. Underneath the smooth rind, the texture is semi-hard and dry with occasional eyes.

The aromas are milky, intense, and straw-like, while the flavors are intense, complex, and savory, slightly fruity and tangy with hints of herbs, toast, smoke, and barnyard. Enjoy it at room temperature paired with red wines from the region.