🧀 Ricotta

Ricotta is an Italian whey “cheese”. It is made from the whey left over from making other cheeses (sheep, cow, goat or buffalo). The whey is heated almost to boiling, often with some acid added, and the whey proteins (albumins and globulins), which are not part of the ordinary cheese curd, coagulate and float up as delicate flakes. These are collected and drained in baskets or cloth.

The name means “recooked” — the whey is heated a second time after the first stage of cheesemaking. Today ricotta is often made with added milk, or even entirely from milk, which increases yield and fat content. Italy has protected varieties, such as Ricotta Romana made from sheep’s whey.

Ricotta differs from tvorog (curd cheese) in the origin of its protein: in tvorog the main protein is casein, in ricotta it is whey proteins. It is softer and sweeter, is not ripened and keeps only briefly. Ricotta is a filling for cannoli, lasagne, ravioli, pies and cassata; it is also eaten with honey and fruit.