🧀 Caciocavallo
Also known as: caciocavallo cheese
Caciocavallo is a southern Italian stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheese from cow's milk, tied in pairs and hung over a support to mature.
Caciocavallo is a stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheese from cow's milk with very old roots, widespread across southern Italy in many local versions. 4 The EU protects the variety Caciocavallo Silano as a PDO, and regions list others as traditional products. 13
Caciocavallo Silano is a semi-hard cheese made only from raw cow's milk, which may be thermised at 58 °C for 30 seconds. The milk is coagulated at 36–38 °C with calf or kid rennet paste; natural whey starter may be used. The curd ripens for about 4 to 10 hours or more until it can be stretched, then it is stretched in near-boiling water, kneaded by hand into an ovoid, cooled in water and salted in brine for at least 6 hours. 1
The cheeses are tied in pairs and hung over wooden or steel rods to mature, and the name comes from this way of maturing, "straddled" over a support. 1 The rind is thin, smooth and straw yellow; the paste is compact, with very small holes. Fat in dry matter is at least 38 %. The minimum maturation is 30 days; 4 months allows the label EXTRA and 9 months GRAN RISERVA. The milk comes from municipalities in Calabria, Campania, Molise, Apulia and Basilicata. 1
Campania lists Caciocavallo Podolico as a traditional product: milk comes only from Podolica cattle, raised free-range or semi-free-range mainly on pasture. It weighs about 1–2 kg and matures from 15 days to over 6 months. 3 It is sweet with medium salt, gaining some pungency and herbal, hay-like aromas with age, and is traditionally eaten at the end of a meal, plain or with a spicy preserve. 4
Caciocavallo or provolone and scamorza? The names invite confusion, so compare by method and label, not by name. Caciocavallo Silano is a semi-hard cheese of raw cow's milk whose curd is stretched in near-boiling water, shaped by hand into an ovoid, salted in brine and tied in pairs over a rod, where it matures for at least 30 days. Age is on the label: 4 months allows EXTRA, 9 months GRAN RISERVA. Plain “caciocavallo” is not bound by that specification, so versions differ from region to region.
Look for the full name “Caciocavallo Silano” and the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin); plain “caciocavallo” is not bound by the specification. The label may say EXTRA (4 months) or GRAN RISERVA (9 months); otherwise the minimum is 30 days. Expect an ovoid shape from tying in pairs and a thin, smooth, straw-yellow rind. Whole pieces and wedges are sold at a supermarket cheese counter, a delicatessen or an Italian food shop.
Why it matters to you. Age changes the cheese: young is mild, ripe is pungent, so read the label. Only "Caciocavallo Silano" with the PDO mark guarantees this specification; plain "caciocavallo" is not bound by it. 1
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's milk (Caciocavallo Silano: raw) 1 |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Southern Italy; Silano: Calabria, Campania, Molise, Apulia, Basilicata 1 |
| Duration | Caciocavallo Silano: at least 30 days; EXTRA 4 months, GRAN RISERVA 9 months 1 |
| Legal basis | Caciocavallo Silano — EU PDO, PDO-IT-0003 12 |
| Taste | Young mild, ripe pungent (Silano) 1 |
| Main use | Podolico: at the end of a meal, plain or with spicy preserve 4 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Caciocavallo ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧫 Rennet, 🧂 Salt
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians, 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🧶 Pasta filata cheeses, 🇮🇹 Italian cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Provolone, 🧀 Scamorza, 🧀 Kashkaval
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that caciocavallo is made from horse milk?
No. It is a cow’s milk cheese. The name comes from the way it matures: tied in pairs and hung “straddled” over a wooden or steel rod.
What does the PDO on Caciocavallo Silano guarantee?
That the cheese follows the EU-protected specification: raw cow’s milk from set areas of southern Italy and at least 30 days of maturing. Plain “caciocavallo” is not bound by it.
How long is Caciocavallo Silano matured, and what do EXTRA and GRAN RISERVA mean?
At least 30 days. A label of 4 months allows EXTRA and 9 months GRAN RISERVA.
How do you serve a ripe caciocavallo?
The Podolico version is traditionally eaten at the end of a meal, plain or with a spicy preserve.
Is a young caciocavallo milder than an aged one?
Yes. Young it is mild; ripe it is pungent, so read the label for the age.
What to read next
- 🧀 Kashkaval — Kashkaval is a yellow pasta filata cheese of the Balkans, traditionally made from sheep's milk.
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians — The people of Italy; their cuisine rests on wine, olive oil and cheese, and in 2025 the country made 44.4 million hectolitres of wine, the most in the world.
Similar
🧀 Scamorza · 🧀 Provolone · 🧀 Kashkaval · 🧀 Stracciatella · 🧀 Burrata · 🧀 Chechil
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.