Cheese Database

Caciocavallo vs Vastedda

Caciocavallo, field guide plate
Caciocavallo, photographed

Caciocavallo

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Stretched curd
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Italy

Caciocavallo is an Italian stretched-curd cheese made from cow's milk. The usual shape is a pear or a small gourd, with a narrow neck where a cord is tied. Makers hang the cheeses in pairs over a beam, and that pose explains the name. A thin natural rind covers a firm pale paste that slices cleanly. Young cheese is mild and supple, and older cheese turns drier, saltier, and fit for grating.

Vastedda

Facts

Country
Italy

Vastedda is a traditional round bread from Italy, best known in Sicily. The loaf has no hole in the middle, and the crumb is soft enough to hold a rich filling. Street cooks split it for a sandwich of fried veal spleen, often with sliced cheese or a spoon of fresh ricotta. The same word is also used for Sicilian cheeses, which is why it appears in a cheese list. The bread and the cheeses are different foods that share a name.