In the shops of Irpinia and Sannio you will see them hanging in pairs, tied with a rope. These are caciocavalli, and they have always struck us as a cheese "on the move". Although the name recalls the Sila, Caciocavallo Silano DOP is also made in Campania: here is its story.
A DOP shared by five regions
Caciocavallo Silano has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 1996. The production area is large and covers five regions of southern Italy: Calabria, Campania, Molise, Apulia and Basilicata. In Campania it includes municipalities in the provinces of Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Naples and Salerno, mostly in the inland and hilly areas, around towns such as Avellino, Ariano Irpino and Cerreto Sannita.
Why "caciocavallo"
The most widely accepted explanation of the name has to do with the way it is aged: the cheeses are tied in pairs and hung astride ("a cavallo") a wooden pole. "Silano", on the other hand, recalls the Sila plateau in Calabria, where production has ancient roots. Cheeses of this kind were already mentioned by ancient authors such as Pliny the Elder.
How to recognise it
It is a semi-hard, stretched-curd cheese made from cow's milk. It is oval or shaped like a truncated cone, with a small head, and weighs between 1 and 2.5 kilos. The rind is thin, smooth and straw yellow, with the marks of the rope; the paste is white or pale yellow and uniform. The minimum ageing is 30 days: when young it is sweet and delicate, and as it ages it becomes sharp.
In the kitchen
We have tried it every way, but our favourite is still caciocavallo grilled on a hot plate, melting on the outside and soft inside. It is also excellent shaved over pasta, in fillings and savoury pies, and on the table with cured meats and vegetables preserved in oil.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
In Irpinia you can combine it with a visit to The Castle of Ariano Irpino and the Museum of Norman Civilisation; in Sannio, with Cerreto Sannita and its ceramics. For the dishes it appears in, read What to eat in Avellino and What to eat in Benevento. For another stretched-curd cheese from Campania there is Provolone del Monaco DOP, and for the most famous dairy product, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP. All the designations are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the province in Avellino and its surroundings.
Sources: Qualigeo – Caciocavallo Silano DOP; ONAF – profile and product specification.
Photo at top (Avellino): unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
