The famous Italian dairy ricotta is often referred to, or cheese, or cottage cheese. Between these food products is a significant difference, both in technology preparation, and on the feedstock. Ready for cooking ricotta desserts, lasagna, cakes, savory pies, for baking Easter bread. Added to different dishes, curdled mass uniform with bland taste, it gives a welcoming little cravings national color of Italy.

What is ricotta

Traditional product of sunny Italy, ricotta is made from whey that remains after cooking mozzarella Mozzarella: an authentic Italian taste , A young cheese, another gastronomic pride of the Italians. This cheese is prepared from whole milk, not from serum, because ricotta cheese can not be called. This ricotta or cottage cheese, because the process of preparation of the milk product is very different technology. Cottage cheese is prepared by heating milk and adding a rennet. This coagulates the milk protein, casein, and falls in soft sediment, which is called cottage cheese.

Ricotta prepared a little differently: the precipitate is heated again, then there is a process called in Italy «ri-cotta», that is "digested". Only then the mass is mixed with the enzyme-leaven, the top layer is called the fresh ricotta. In appearance very similar to ricotta cheese soft cheese, while it is smoother and less acidic than cottage cheese. Preparing ricotta from milk or butter serum fat levels different because this product can be either 8% fat - from cow's milk and 24-25% - of the sheep.

Dishes with ricotta

Ricotta is used as a separate dish, cheese or cottage cheese instead. Added in different foods, it gives the national Italian flavor, it becomes a real decoration of dishes. As   ricotta filling is combined with boiled potatoes and pasta, fruit and vegetable salads Vegetable salads: the generous gift of nature . Gourmets all over the world are preparing stuffed with ricotta pies and cakes, pies and pancakes. Famous Sicilian cannoli, which are crispy wafer rolls with a filling of ricotta, served in Italy during the week and during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Amazing Neapolitan dessert «Pastiera napoletana» none other than the sweet cake with ricotta and orange. Use this gentle dairy products and baking Easter bread Italian Pastiera. Some types of lasagna and savory tarts prepared with ricotta and herbs and spices. Use a dessert product for cooking pancakes, bruschetta, Picon-fritelle ravioli Ravioli: a treasure of Italian cuisine , Puddings, flans and cheesecakes. Soups, casseroles, salads, main courses of meat and poultry, fish and mushrooms with the addition of fresh-cheese product acquired taste tenderness and harmony, rich aroma of sunny Italy.

It is interesting

Really fresh ricotta quite difficult to find in any other countries except Italy. Either the value of such goods exceeds several times the price of dairy products such as the local production. For cooking with ricotta can be replaced by cheaper analog - soft cheese or cream cheese, such as "Almette."

Ricotta - a national product of many northern and southern provinces of Italy: Sicily, Campania, Calabria, Lambardii, Piedmont. Traditionally Tilt flakes whey in the preparation of national product put in special baskets of wicker, which affects the shape of ricotta. In modern industrial environment it is packed in small plastic baskets.

Besides Italy, ricotta is brewed in Greece, calling it in his own way "mizifroy" in France, this product bears the name of "serac" in Germany - "Sieger". Species ricotta worldwide myriad: fresh ricotta; smoked; seasoned, hard like cheese; mature, which is used instead of parmesan; cooked in the oven, chocolate, citric acid, and the like.

Use ricotta explains contents of vitamins, trace elements and active substances which are present in milk, serum, and in yeast. Ricotta - healthy and tasty product, business card sunny Italy.

Jeanne Pyatirikova

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