Caciocavallo

• Caciocavallo Silano is a cow’s milk cheese with a unique story behind its name.
  
• It’s a pasta filata or pulled curd cheese made with cow’s milk.
  
• Similar to mozzarella, fresh curds are heated, stretched, and shaped into a ball. But unlike mozarella, Caciocavallo is tied at the top and hung from cellar beams to age.
  
• After several months, the shape evolves into an elongated bulb with a little round nub on top – vaguely reminiscent of a primitive horse drawing.
  
• It’s gourd-like shape earns the cheese its name that roughly translates to the Italian “cheese on horseback.”
  
• The name also comes from an old legend that said cheeses were carried to market hung across the back of a donkey.
  
• The ropes that attached the cheese to the cellar beams traditionally secured the cheese to a horse saddle as it made its journey from farm to market.
  
• Buttery, slightly peppery, with a zesty yogurt flavor, it is a firm cheese with a smooth, chewy texture.
  
• It’s similar in taste and texture to a mature, tangy Provolone.
  
• It lends itself to grating and melting on pizza, slicing up and serving with salumi, and pairing with an Italian red.

While harder cheeses can stay fresh for up to two to three weeks when wrapped tightly and unopened, fresh style cheeses are best consumed within a few days. The best thing to do is to keep the cheese in one of your refrigerator drawers or the vegetable bin; this will help to keep your cheese from drying out. ​If your cheese is packed in olive oil or brine, store any leftovers in the liquid and follow package instructions. All cheeses and meats are perishables—by definition they degrade over time—so we encourage our customers to enjoy the cheese while it's in peak condition!