Stracchino is a soft and creamy cheese from Lombardy, Italy, with a slightly acidic flavor. It has a high milk fat content and is often eaten without aging. It’s best consumed within a few days of purchase and is great as a spread, in sauces, on pizza, and in salads.
Stracchino is a type of cheese that comes from the Lombardy region of Italy. Similar to cream cheese, stracchino is typically soft and creamy with a slightly acidic flavor. Typically having a high percentage of milk fat, this cheese makes an excellent and unusual substitute for other cream cheeses.
Made from cow’s milk, this cheese is famous for its delicate flavor and texture. Often eaten without aging, stracchino is excellent on its own or as a filling or condiment. Stracchino is not a very common cheese outside of Italy, although some specialty food or cheese shops will likely carry it.
The high fat content of the milk, which can be over 50% in some varieties, is what gives this type of cheese its creamy texture and rich yet delicate flavor. A highly spreadable cheese, it pairs perfectly with jams or fruit preserves and is great simply spread on crackers. Some traditional recipes for foccaccia and Italian baked sandwiches use stracchino cheese, but more often it’s served as part of a cheese platter or simply alongside a crusty loaf of bread or crackers.
It’s important to note that this delicious cheese expires quickly; It doesn’t travel well and should be kept cool enough. It is often packaged similarly to cubes or sticks of butter; it is usually wrapped in paper and placed in an external container to help maintain its shape and cool temperature. Stracchino is best eaten within a few days of purchase, or even right away for the best flavor.
Stracchino’s spreadable quality and light flavor make it an excellent cheese for mixing sauces and spreads. Finely chop some traditional Italian herbs, such as oregano or basil, and mix them into the cheese with a fork. Add some salt and pepper and spread it generously on a baguette for a savory cheese sandwich. Mix the stracchino with a firmer cheese, such as chopped pepper jack, and form a rounded sphere that can be served with fruit and bread.
Chunks of this cheese can be crusted with herbs and nuts and tossed into salads to provide protein and calcium and provide textural contrast to greens and greens. It’s a great substitute for cream cheese in traditional lasagna recipes. Stracchino is also delicious on pizza, used as an additional topping aside from the normal cheese layer. It makes a great substitute for the saltier feta or other cheeses used as toppings or calzone fillings.
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