Growing up I always associated ricotta cheese with lasagna or
stuffed shells and that was about it. But now as I've learned
a bit more about this wonderful cheese, I am excited to get more
out it than in the past.
First things first. Ricotta is not pronounced, "ri-gat-ah".
Pronunce it like this, "re-coat-tah". The term ricotta
literally means, "recooked" or "twice cooked".
It comes from the latin, "recocta".
What is Ricotta Made of?
Secondly, ricotta is actually made from whey. Well, that is the
original method of making the cheese. Now manufactures use whole
milk or 2 % milk instead. Some companies use a combination of
both milk and whey. There is a difference in taste and texture
between the two. The richer the milk the creamier the texture.
So what exactly is whey? Whey is a product of cheese making.
When cheese is made from milk, the milk will start to curdle creating...
curds. The liquid that did not curdle is called whey. The whey
is then removed and reheated and that curdles too. These curds
are now collected and used as ricotta cheese. The remaining whey
is then either tossed or used in baking.
You can make ricotta yourself at home using whole milk and buttermilk.
There are many recipes online for this and I will not attempt
to tell you how. I have personally not tackled this myself and
although my curiosity will push me to do so eventually, I'd rather
just go out and buy it.
Uses
Ricotta is used as mentioned above in many pasta dishes. Examples
are lasagna, stuffed shells, manicotti, and canolis. But it is
also used as a stand alone dessert - such as ricotta topped with
apricot or try some cinnamon and sugar instead. See my recipe
for ricotta and apricot jam. It can also be used to make white
pizzas. See my ricotta pizza recipe. Within each of these dishes
- there are tons of various ways for making each one.
For example, one white pizza may use spinach with the ricotta,
while another will use another green. Or maybe it won't be a white
pizza at all. Try using ricotta instead of shredded mozzarella
for a pizza - it tastes great!
Origin
I'm a firm believer in that it is very hard to pinpoint any origin
of any food because it really comes down to who documents it first.
Of course there are ways to verify information such as what foods
where originally imported and known in a certain area or region.
For ricotta, it can be traced back to at least Mediterranean
history and no wonder as to why. With the many sheep which were
raised from ancient days by shepherds, it wouldn't take long for
some ingenious cook to experiment with slow boiling the milk and
saving the liquid and trying again, then tasting the curds.
Proper Ricotta Texture
For kicks, try going to a store and look at the various brands
that sell ricotta. Look at the ingredients and buy one of each
that is different. Ones that have whey as the ingredients should
have a firm texture and even has been described as crumbly. But
in enough form that it can be cut with a knife. For ones made
with milk, expect a creamier silkier texture.
There is no right or wrong to which style of ricotta you prefer.
But as with many foods, knowing the authentic process is a part
of history we should always strive to preserve.
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