Caciocavallo Superlatticini Lo Conte

Making Caciocavallo

The Italian name of these cheese means "Cheese on horseback" and it is thought that the name derives from the fact that two cheese forms are always bound together with rope and then left to mature by placing them 'a cavallo', i.e. straddling, upon a horizontal stick or branch*.

Fresh pasteurized milk is heated to between 30˚C and 40˚C and rennet (an extract from stomachs of young, milk-fed calves that helps form curds) is added, allowing the curds to separate from the liquid (whey). 

Our Cheesemakers then transfer the solids to a stainless steel vat where they pour reheated whey over the curds and leave them for several hours.

When the curds are ready, they are separated from the whey. 

The curds get worked for several minutes in hot water until pliable, and then the stretching process begins.

After stretching the curds are handmade to get the characteristic shape with a prominent ball on top, tied with a string, and are submerged in cold water to set. Next, the Caciocavalli shapes go into a saltwater brine called salamoia for 12 to 24 hours, depending on their size. The salt penetrates the cheese, which helps reduce the risk of bad bacteria and adds flavor.

          

The final stage: the cheese is straddled over a stick to age. The inspiration for the name caciocavallo, which means “cheese on horseback,” comes from the fact that  they resemble saddlebags. 

After sixty days, the slightly aged caciocavallo, known as semi-stagionato (medium-aged caciocavallo), has a sweet flavor redolent of the pastures the cattle graze on, and a creamy texture. 

A small percentage of the this streched-curd cheese will be moved into another room for an additional 60 to 120 days, and then brought to market as the stagionato version.

Caciocavallo Superlatticini Lo Conte has a deep gold yellow color and an intense aroma.  

Its distinctive fine mild flavor goes well with all your favorite dishes. 

A very feast for the senses!

Wine to drink with Caciocavallo: Aglianico rosé with the Medium-Aged, Taurasi DOCG with the Stagionato

*From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caciocavallo

Did you know...

... that our Caciocchiato is named after its texture that is rich in holes, called occhi in Italian. 

From the combination of the word cacio (cheese) and occhi (holes) comes the name Caciocchiato

CACIOCCHIATO LO CONTE

A feast for the palate!

Caciocchiato is an aged cheese with a mild sweet taste. It is the most famous product of the Superlatticini Lo Conte, which began to experiment its production in 1970 and made it an unique cheese all over the world.

We produce cheese only with cattle's milk from biological fodder, that strongly influences the aroma and the colour of “CaciocchiatoLoConte”. While inside it looks white, the rind is thin and slightly yellow.

We ensure the quality of this cheese by processing the milk only during the winter months, when it contains a very low bacterial value.

The two main features that make Caciocchiato distinctive  are its holes and its shape. The holes are there because of special bacteria, while the unusual watermelon form is handmade like an American watermelon.

Typically aged for as few as 4 months or up to one year in special temperature and relative humidity controlled rooms,  whereupon you can enjoy its superb taste. “CaciocchiatoLoConte” is ideally eaten as an appetizer or as a main dish with vegetables. It is a genuine snack between meals and it is excellent for melting. Try it with a slice of grilled bread and with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil!

We recommend to try our Caciocchiato with a fine white wine or a fruity, full-bodied and velvety red wine.

The taste of tradition!

Since 1916 we are working with a great passion to produce good quality cheese and to ensure our customers are satisfied.

Our dairy is like a big family consisting of 26 employees, who believe in the authentic cheese-making tradition and under the guidance of Carlo Lo Conte in the past and Johnny Lo Conte today look only after the best raw materials.

We are large dairy keeping pace with innovation, ready to accept new challenges, producing new products, open to change but always thinking back to the past and to the tradition.

Superlatticini lo Conte's success lies in a extraordinary blend of past, present and future

www.superlatticini.it