A byproduct of the increased production of rennet-coagulated pecorino type cheeses in Sicily and the Italian peninsula during the first millennium BC was a large amount of sweet whey. What were Sicilian and Apennine shepherds supposed to do with all this leftover whey? Being frugal shepherds, they certainly could not let it go to waste. Based on the number of ceramic “milk boilers” uncovered by archaeologists throughout the Italian peninsula, it appears they adhered to that classic adage: when Fate gives you whey, make ricotta.
Shepherds would pour leftover whey into these ingenious ceramic containers that limited frothing while they brought it to boil over a fire. In fact, this is where this cheese gets its name. In Italian ricotta means “re-cooked.” Once heated, the keratin proteins started to float and clump together into a mush that was then skimmed off the top and poured into little baskets, which drained the cheese of excess water and solidified it further. A few minutes later the shepherd’s family could sit down and enjoy some ricotta right out of the basket.
To this day ricotta is considered one of the primary “peasant” foods in Italy.[1] Since sheep are the primary livestock in Sicily, Sicilian ricotta is typically made out of the leftover whey from Pecorino Siciliano DOP.[2] Many Italians consider this the truest form of ricotta as sheep’s milk is the richest and creamiest of the three main varieties. In Campania—an administrative region in the southwestern part of the Italian peninsula—the Mediterranean buffalo is raised and selectively bred to produce the milk used to make Mozzarella di Bufala DOP. A byproduct of Mozzarella di Bufala, the flavor of Campanian ricotta is butterier and sweeter than its Sicilian cousin. Meanwhile, in the Po Valley and Alpine regions of the north, ricotta is made from the cow’s whey leftover from the production of Gorgonzola DOP, Provolone DOP, or Taleggio DOP.[3]
In the rolling hills of Sonoma County, California, Bellwether Farms is supplementing their variety of sheep’s milk cheeses by purchasing local Jersey cow’s milk to make ricotta. After naturally acidifying for hours in a vat, the cultured cow’s milk is then heated and stirred. Then, at just the right moment, the Bellwether cheesemakers stop stirring to allow the curds to form. The curds are then hand scooped into small, plastic ricotta baskets and allowed to drain naturally under their own weight. In keeping with Italian traditions, Bellwether ricotta is sold in the same basket, which minimizes the disturbance of the curd while maximizing moisture retention. The result is a ricotta with an exceptionally delicate, soft texture; flavors of butter and cream; and a clean finish that you and your family can enjoy right out of the basket.[4]
[1] Paul S. Kindstedt, Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and Its Place in Western Civilization (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012), 83; Nick D’Errico, “Italian Cheese: Ridiculous Ricotta,” Culture: The Word on Cheese, August 7, 2014, https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/blog/italian-cheese-ridiculous-ricotta/.
[1] DOP is short for Denominazione di origine Protetta (Protected designation of origin), a certification that ensures that a particular food product was made by local farmers and artisans using traditional methods.
[1] D’Errico, “Ridiculous Ricotta.” [1] “Basket Ricotta,” Culture: The Word on Cheese, accessed May 31, 2021, https://culturecheesemag.com/ cheese-library/Ricotta-Bellwether-Farms.