2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Ricotta is a traditional Italian cheese that has been produced in Italy for many centuries. Ricotta is considered a by-product of the cheese industry. It is obtained from whey left over from the separation of the primary curd.
The whey can be from buffalo, cow or sheep milk. At some point over the years, it has been discovered that if this whey warms up, the casein particles will combine to form a whole new curd. When draining, the ricotta is obtained - fresh cheese with a grainy structure and a very soft, pleasant taste.
History of ricotta
Ricotta has a very long history. The famous Roman surgeon and philosopher Galenus wrote a book on food, where he noted that today they call ricotta, what the Greeks knew as oxygala.
In his book Italian Cheeses, Mario Wizardki notes that ricotta cheese originated in the Rome region and was contributed to by St. Francis. In 1223 he was in the region of Lazio, where he was to recreate the scene of the Nativity. It was then that he learned that the local shepherds made cheese ricotta. He also learned that this cheese is made from whey left over from making other cheeses. That's why ricotta means "re-cooked".
Ricotta composition
The ricotta contains a large amount of vitamins - A, E, K, B6, B12. Of the beneficial substances, calcium, iron, riboflavin and thiamine, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, selenium, beta carotene, choline, copper, arginine and alanine are best represented. Ricotta contains a certain amount of glutamic and aspartic acid, glycine, valine, cysteine, hysteidin and others.
100 g ricotta contain 174 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat and 11 g protein, 51 mg cholesterol, 105 mg potassium, 84 mg sodium, 0.27 g sugars, 71 ml water, 207 mg calcium, 17 mg choline, 158 mg phosphorus, 14.5 g selenium, 1.15 mg of zinc, etc.
Selection and storage of ricotta
Italian shops sometimes sell ricotta shaped like caramel cream and with the marks of a basket on its surface. It is also available in special plastic tubes, similar to our cottage cheese.
You can buy the cheese in Bulgaria ricotta from larger food chains. It is most often available in packages of 250 mg and the price is about BGN 3 for this weight.
Store the ricotta in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2 to -6 degrees. The shelf life is about 20 days.
Ricotta in cooking
Ricotta is a cheese with a very soft and sensual taste, so it is widely used in cooking. Ricotta is suitable for all desserts, ravioli and lasagna, in combination with vegetables. The taste of the cheese is best emphasized with fruit and a glass of aromatic fruit wine.
We offer you a very fine recipe with a refined taste for stuffed peaches with ricotta. Required products: 6 peaches, 100 g ricotta, 100 g dried apricots, grated peel and juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp. liqueur and ground hazelnuts, 5 tbsp. powdered sugar, 150 ml of cream and a few biscuits.
Method of preparation: Blanch the peaches for about a minute, rinse and peel. Then cut them in half and remove the stones. Boil the apricots with half a liter of water, add half the sugar and lemon juice. Pass them. Beat the cheese, lemon zest, remaining sugar, cream, half the crushed biscuits and hazelnuts. Fill the peaches with the resulting cream. Sprinkle with the remaining biscuits and hazelnuts on top, finally serve with apricot sauce.
Benefits of ricotta
Ricotta cheese differs from other cheeses with its high amount of vitamin D. It has five times more of this vitamin than other cheeses. Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins in the body, and its deficiency is associated with serious diseases.
Other vitamins and minerals in ricotta also have a positive effect on health. It turns out that in addition to being delicious, ricotta cheese is also quite useful. The calcium in cheese is also high, and we all know how valuable it is to our bones. Therefore, the consumption of ricotta is not only a pleasure for the senses, but also good for health.
