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{{Short description|Italian whey cheese}}
{{Refimprove|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name          = Ricotta
| image         = Ricotte fresche.jpg
| othernames    = 
| country       = [[Italy]]
| region        = 
| town          = 
| source        = [[Sheep]], [[cow]]s, [[goat]]s, or [[Italian water buffalo]]
| pasteurised   = No
| texture       = Dependent on variety, fresh soft to aged semisoft
| fat           = 
| protein       = 
| dimensions    = 
| weight        = 
| aging         = None or up to a year for aged varieties
| certification = 
}}

'''Ricotta''' ({{IPA|it|riˈkɔtta|lang}}) is an [[Italian cuisine|Italian]] [[whey cheese]] made from [[sheep]], [[Cattle|cow]], [[goat]], or [[Italian Mediterranean buffalo|Italian water buffalo]] [[milk]] [[whey]] left over from the production of other [[cheese]]s. However, modern ricotta is often made from milk instead of whey. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the [[casein]] has been used to make cheese, notably [[albumin]] and [[globulin]].

[[wikt:ricotta|Ricotta]] ({{literally|recooked|refined}}) protein can be harvested if the whey is first allowed to become more acidic by additional fermentation (by letting it sit for 12–24 hours at room temperature). Then the acidified whey is heated to near boiling. The combination of low [[pH]] and high temperature [[Denaturation (biochemistry)|denatures]] the protein and causes it to [[flocculation|flocculate]], forming a fine curd. Once cooled, it is separated by passing the liquid through a fine cloth, leaving the curd behind.

Ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, and slightly sweet in taste. The fat content varies depending on the milk used.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sargento.com/our-cheese/other-varieties/ricotta/sargento-part-skim-ricotta-cheese|title=Sargento® Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese|date=13 January 2015|website=sargento.com|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923002256/https://www.sargento.com/our-cheese/other-varieties/ricotta/sargento-part-skim-ricotta-cheese|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=www.weightlossresources.co.uk |url=http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories-in-food/cheese/ricotta-cheese.htm |title=Calories in Ricotta Cheese |publisher=Weight Loss Resources |date=2016-04-29 |access-date=2018-09-17}}</ref> In this form, it is somewhat similar in texture to some [[Types of cheese#Fresh and whey cheeses|fresh cheese]] variants, though considerably lighter. It is highly perishable. However, ricotta is also made in [[Cheese ripening|aged]] varieties which are preservable for much longer.

==History==
The production of ricotta in the Italian peninsula dates back to the [[Bronze Age]]. In the second millennium BC, ceramic vessels called milk boilers started to appear frequently and were apparently unique to the peninsula. These were designed to boil milk at high temperatures and prevent the milk from boiling over. The fresh acid-coagulated cheeses produced with these boilers were probably made with whole milk.<ref name="kind">{{cite book |last1=Kindstedt |first1=Paul |title=Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and its Place in Western Civilization |date=2012 |publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing |isbn=978-1-60358-412-8 }}</ref>

The production of [[rennet]]-coagulated cheese, though, overtook the production of fresh whole-milk cheeses during the first millennium BC. Bronze cheese graters found in the graves of the [[Etruscans|Etruscan]] elite prove that hard-grating cheeses were popular with the aristocracy. Cheese graters were also commonly used in [[Ancient Roman cuisine|ancient Roman kitchens]].<ref name="kind" /> Unlike the fresh acid-coagulated cheese, aged rennet-coagulated cheese could be preserved for much longer.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Effect of Rennet Coagulation Time on Composition, Yield, and Quality of Reduced-Fat Cheddar Cheese|journal=Journal of Dairy Science |volume=84 |pages=1027–1033|date=2001|issue=5 |doi=10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)74562-6 |pmid=11384028 |s2cid=28322732 |doi-access=free |last1=Johnson |first1=M.E. |last2=Chen |first2=C.M. |last3=Jaeggi |first3=J.J. }}</ref>

The increased production of rennet-coagulated cheese led to a large supply of sweet whey as a byproduct. Cheesemakers then started using a new recipe, which used a mixture of whey and milk to make the traditional ricotta as it is known today.<ref name="kind" />

The [[Ancient Rome|ancient Romans]] made ricotta, but writers on agriculture, such as [[Cato the Elder]], [[Marcus Terentius Varro]], and [[Columella]], do not mention it. They described the production of rennet-coagulated cheese, but did not write about milk boilers or acid-coagulated cheese. A likely reason is that ricotta was not profitable because its very short shelf life did not allow distribution to urban markets. Ricotta was most likely consumed by the herders who made it. Even so, evidence from paintings and literature indicates that ricotta was known and likely eaten by Roman aristocrats, as well.<ref name="kind" />

Ceramic milk boilers were still used by [[Apennine Mountains|Apennine]] herders to make ricotta in the 19th century AD. Today, metal milk boilers are used, but production methods have changed little since ancient times.<ref name="kind" />

==Manufacturing process==
Whey proteins are kinds of the many milk proteins.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whey Protein|date=28 September 2022 |publisher=Examine|url=https://examine.com/supplements/whey-protein/|last1=Patel |first1=Kamal }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Milk Composition – Proteins|publisher=Illinois.edu|url=http://ansci.illinois.edu/static/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html|access-date=2017-10-23|archive-date=2016-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121051715/http://ansci.illinois.edu/static/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The production process entails the use of heat and acid to coagulate whey protein from whey solution. The whey solution is heated to a near-boiling temperature, much hotter than during the production of the original cheese, of which the whey is a remnant.<ref>{{cite web|title=Formaggi tipici italiani: Ricotta Romana DOP|publisher=Agraria.org – Istruzione Agraria online|url=http://www.agraria.org/prodottitipici/ricottaromana.htm|language=it}}</ref>

==Fresh variants==
''Ricotta di bufala campana'' and ''ricotta romana'' are notable varieties produced in Italy and protected by the [[European Union]]'s [[protected designation of origin]] regulation. ''Ricotta di bufala campana'' is made from the whey left over after the production of ''mozzarella di bufala campana'', a protected variety of [[buffalo mozzarella]]. ''Ricotta romana'' is made from the whey of [[sheep milk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2004:030:0007:0012:EN:PDF|title=Official Journal of the European Union|date=4 February 2004|website=ec.europa.eu|publisher=European Commission: Agriculture and Rural Development|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref>

==Aged variants==
[[File:Ricotta salata e zucchina.jpg|thumb|''Ricotta salata'' is a firm, salted variety of ricotta.]]
[[File:Ricotta affumicata della sila.jpg|thumb|''Ricotta affumicata'', a [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]] variety from the [[La Sila|Sila]], in [[Calabria]]]]
[[File:Ricotta forte AvL.JPG|thumb|''[[Ricotta forte]]'' is a very soft variety from [[Apulia]] sold in jars.]]

Fresh ricotta can be subject to extra processing to produce variants which have a much longer [[shelf life]]. These production methods include salting, baking, [[Smoking (cooking)|smoking]], and further [[fermentation]].

''Ricotta salata'' is a pressed, salted, dried, and aged variety of the cheese, typically using ricottas made with sheep's milk sourced from [[Lazio]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Schwartz |first=Arthur |title=Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-06-018261-X |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/naplesattablecoo0000schw/page/212/ 213]}}</ref> It is milky-white{{Cn|date=October 2025}} and firm, and is used as a table cheese or for grating or shaving over dishes, particularly pastas made fresh from water and flour.<ref name=":1" /> ''Ricotta salata'' is sold in wheels, decorated by a delicate basket-weave pattern.

''Ricotta infornata'' ({{literally|baked ricotta}}) is produced by placing a large lump of soft ricotta in the oven until it develops a brown, lightly charred crust, sometimes even until it becomes sandy brown all the way through. ''Ricotta infornata'' is popular primarily in [[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]], and is sometimes called ''ricotta al forno''.

''Ricotta affumicata'' ({{literally|smoked ricotta}}) is similar to ''ricotta infornata'' and is produced by placing a lump of soft ricotta in a [[Smoking (cooking)|smoker]] until it develops a grey crust and acquires a charred wood scent, usually of [[oak]] or [[chestnut]] wood, although, in [[Friuli]], [[beech]] wood is used, with the addition of [[juniper]] and [[herbs]].<ref>[http://www.mondofriuli.it/ MondoFriuli] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029013953/http://mondofriuli.it/ |date=2020-10-29 }} {{in lang|it}} (click on ''Formaggi'')</ref>

''[[Ricotta forte]]'', also known as ''ricotta scanta'', is produced from leftovers of any combination of cow, goat, or sheep milk ricotta. These are allowed to age for about a year, during which salt is added and the cheese mixed every two or three days to prevent the growth of [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]. The end result is a soft and creamy brown paste which has a very [[Pungency|pungent]] and piquant taste.<ref name="herb">{{cite book |last1=Herbst |first1=Sharon T. |last2=Herbst |first2=Ron |title=The Cheese Lover's Companion: The Ultimate A-to-Z Cheese Guide with More Than 1,000 Listings for Cheeses and Cheese-Related Terms |year=2010 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-201155-8 }}</ref><ref name="bere">{{cite book |last1=Beresford |first1=T. |last2=Williams |first2=A. |chapter=The Microbiology of Cheese Ripening |title=Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology |year=2004 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-08-050093-5 |volume=1 |edition=Third |editor1-last=Fox |editor1-first=Patrick F. |editor2-last=McSweeney |editor2-first=Paul L. H. |editor3-last=Cogan |editor3-first=Timothy M. |display-editors = 3 |editor4-last=Guinee |editor4-first=Timothy P. }}</ref> It is produced in the southern part of the [[province of Lecce]] and sold in glass jars. It is smeared on bread, mixed with tomato sauces for pasta, or added to vegetable dishes.

==Common culinary uses==
Like [[mascarpone]] in northern Italian cuisine, ricotta is a favorite component of many Italian desserts, such as [[cheesecake]]s and [[cannoli]]. Also, a variety of different cookies include ricotta as an ingredient.

Ricotta can be beaten smooth and mixed with condiments, such as [[sugar]], [[cinnamon]], [[orange flower water]], [[strawberries]], and occasionally [[chocolate]] shavings, and served as a dessert. This basic combination (often with additions such as [[citrus]] and [[pistachio]]s) also features prominently as the filling of the Sicilian cannoli and layered with slices of cake in Palermo's [[cassata]].

Combined with eggs and cooked grains, then baked firm, ricotta is also a main ingredient in [[Naples|Neapolitan]] ''[[pastiera]]'', one of Italy's many "Easter pies".<ref>{{cite book |last=Locatelli |first=Giorgio |title=Made in Italy: Food and Stories |year=2011 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-204727-4 }}</ref>

Ricotta is also commonly used in savory dishes, including pasta, [[calzone]], stromboli, [[pizza]], [[manicotti]], [[lasagne]], and [[ravioli]].

It also is used as a [[mayonnaise]] substitute in traditional egg or tuna salad{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} and as a sauce thickener.

==Similar non-Italian cheeses==
In the [[United States]], American ricotta is almost always made of cow's milk whey, as opposed to Italian ricotta which is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk. While both types are low in fat and sodium, the Italian version is naturally sweet, while the American is a little saltier and moister.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

In southern Switzerland, a similar [[Ziger|ricotta]] is made, although it is often called ''mascarpa''. It is historically a staple food in the mountains. Equivalent whey cheeses (Ziger, Sérac) are produced in the rest of the country.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.patrimoineculinaire.ch/Prodotti?text=ricotta#48 | title=Ricotta o mascarpa | publisher=[[Culinary Heritage of Switzerland]] | accessdate=29 March 2023 | quote=Celebre in tutta Italia, la ricotta in Ticino viene chiamata anche mascarpa. A questo termine si affiancano la forma dialettale zigra, in Leventinra, e züfa, che significa mascarpa fresca. Sugli alpi di Val Bedretto, mangiare pranzo si dice züfé, letteralmente “mangiare ricotta fresca", espressione che indica la monotonia dell’alimentazione degli alpigiani nel passato, spesso a base di sola ricotta. | trans-quote=Famous throughout Italy, ricotta in Ticino is also called mascarpa. This term is accompanied by the dialectal form zigra, in Leventinra, and züfa, which means fresh mascarpa. In the Alps of Val Bedretto, eating lunch is called züfé, literally "eating fresh ricotta", an expression that indicates the monotony of the diet of the mountain farmers in the past, often based on ricotta alone.}}</ref>

In [[France]], ricotta is known as [[:fr:Recuite|recuite]] and can be made from cow, sheep, or goat milk. The name and technique of preparation change according to the region where it is produced: it is called Greuil,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Le Greuil – Estives du Béarn|url=https://www.estives-bearn.com/produits/greuil/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.estives-bearn.com/|language=fr-FR}}</ref> Breuil<ref>{{Cite web|title=Breuil fermier: c'est la saison ! - Producteurs et produits fermiers pays basque qualité Idoki|url=https://www.producteurs-fermiers-pays-basque.fr/fr/actualite/breuil-fermier-cest-la-saison/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.producteurs-fermiers-pays-basque.fr}}</ref> or Sérou in [[Gascony]], Zenbera in the Basque country, [[Brousse (cheese)|Brousse]] in [[Provence]], [[Brocciu]] in [[Corsica]] and [[:fr:Sérac (fromage)|Sérac]] in the [[Alps]].

In [[Malta]], a traditional cow's milk cheese known as ''irkotta'' is made almost identically to the Italian ricotta, with the exception that it is generally made using fresh milk rather than from residual whey,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fresh Irkotta|url=https://www.benna.com.mt/products/fresh-irkotta/|access-date=2023-04-25|website=www.benna.com.mt}}</ref> which gives it a slightly firmer, crumblier texture than the Italian variety. Regardless, irkotta is used in very similar ways to Italian ricotta within Maltese cooking, being a primary filling for savoury dishes like ravoli and pies, as well as sweet dishes such as cannoli and cakes. It is also one of the two traditional fillings for ''[[pastizz]]'', a local savoury pastry snack, with the other being mushy peas.

In [[Tunisia]], the ''[[rigouta]]'' from the city of [[Béja]] is a close relative to the ricotta, except that it is always fresh-soft and is not aged. It is exclusively made from the whey of Sicilo-[[Sarda sheep]]'s milk.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eaap.org/docs/Publications/eaap099%20-%20875157986R.pdf|title=''Les filières lait en Méditerranée : enjeux pour un futur durable''], Hammamet, Tunisia-Hammamet 26-28 octobre 2000, EAAP publication n°99, 2003, p.102 [117|website=eaap.org|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-date=17 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617073321/http://www.eaap.org/docs/Publications/eaap099%20-%20875157986R.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Rigouta'' is also used as the basis of several preparations and dishes of [[Tunisian cuisine]].

In Spanish, ricotta is known as ''[[requesón]]''. It can be salted or sweetened for cooking purposes. It was brought to [[Mexico]] by the Spaniards, although it is not as commonly used as ''[[queso fresco]]''. It is sometimes used as filling for ''[[tlacoyo]]s'' and ''[[taco]]s dorados'', and in the central west area ([[Jalisco]], [[Michoacán]], and [[Colima]]) it is spread over'' [[Tostada (tortilla)|tostadas]]'' or ''[[bolillo]]s'', or served as a side to beans. In [[Portugal]] and [[Brazil]], a similar product is called ''[[requeijão]]''.

In the [[Balkans]], [[Romania]]n ''[[urdă]]'' ({{IPA|ro|ˈurdə|lang}}), [[North Macedonia|Macedonian]] ''urda'' (урда) and [[Bulgaria]]n ''izvara'' (извара) are made by reprocessing the whey drained from any type of cheese. ''Urdă'' is thus similar to fresh ricotta as its fabrication implies the same technological process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dexonline.ro/definitie/urd%C4%83|title=dexonline|website=dexonline.ro}}</ref><ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:260:0043:0046:RO:PDF Jurnalul Oficial al Uniunii Europene] – in the Romanian version of the ''Official Journal of the EU'' ''ricotta'' is translated by ''urdă'' (page 4, subchapter 5.3.).</ref> However, Romanian ''urdă'' is neither smoked nor baked in the oven like some variants of the Italian ricotta. ''Urdă'' has been produced by Romanian [[shepherd]]s for centuries<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ph.D|first1=Timothy G. Roufs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_eCBAAAQBAJ&q=Urd%C4%83+romanian+shepherds+centuries&pg=PA282|title=Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture|last2=Roufs|first2=Kathleen Smyth|date=2014-07-29|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-221-2|language=en}}</ref> and is consequently regarded by Romanians as a Romanian traditional product.<ref>[http://www.dadrsibiu.ro/index.php/atestat-produse-traditionale/precizari-intocmirea-caietului-de-sarcini.html Official site of the Directia pentru Agricultura si Dezvoltare Rurala Sibiu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603202413/http://www.dadrsibiu.ro/index.php/atestat-produse-traditionale/precizari-intocmirea-caietului-de-sarcini.html |date=2010-06-03 }} - ''Urdă'' is presented as a traditional dairy product.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Italy|Food}}
* [[List of Italian cheeses]]
* [[List of smoked foods]]
* ''[[Ricotta di fuscella]]''
* ''[[Ricotta forte]]''
* [[Hyblean ricotta]]
* [[Mozzarella]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Fabiano |first=Guatteri |title=Formaggi. Conoscere e riconoscere le migliori produzioni dell'Italia e dell'Europa |year=2012 |publisher=De Agostini |isbn=978-8-84-187697-8 |language=it }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.lacasa.com.au/fullcreamricotta.htm Ingredients, nutritional and product information.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316020440/http://www.lacasa.com.au/fullcreamricotta.htm |date=2010-03-16 }}
* [http://www.milkingredients.ca/index-eng.php?id=190 Ricotta cheese composition and characteristics from the Canadian Dairy Commission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128132710/http://www.milkingredients.ca/index-eng.php?id=190 |date=2014-01-28 }}.

{{Italian cheeses}}
{{Whey cheeses}}

[[Category:Italian cheeses]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Goat's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Sheep's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Whey cheeses]]
[[Category:Smoked cheeses]]
[[Category:Acid-set cheeses]]