Ricotta forte

Ricotta forte (strong ricotta) is a very traditional soft cheese of Apulia, in southeastern Italy. It is creamy, spicy and a little bitter[1].

Ricotta forte
Other names	ricotta 'scante, scanta, ascuante, squant (from the Latin ustulo which means burns due to its taste)
Country of origin	Italy
Region	Apulia
Texture	Soft
Certification	Italy: PAT Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale

Its preparation is similar to the Greek cheese called kopanisti[2]: the milk is fermented by bacteria and yeast which contribute to the spicy tasty and to the very intense aroma. The aroma is similar to the long-seasoned pecorino.

This cheese is typically used on pasta to make the tomato sauce tastier or on the bread with anchovies or in the traditionali fried panzerotti[3].

It has been recognised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies as an Italian and Apulian traditional food product (PAT Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale).

References

1. Tibaldi, Andrea. "Ricotta forte". Cibo360.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-08-02.
2. "Kopanisti - Arca del Gusto - Slow Food Foundation". Slow Food Foundation. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
3. "Ricotta forte: un tesoro spalmabile da usare in cucina". Agrodolce (in Italian). 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2018-08-02.