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The product
What Abruzzo caciocavallo is
A semi-hard stretched-curd cheese of raw cow’s milk.
Abruzzo caciocavallo is a semi-hard stretched-curd cheese made from raw whole cow’s milk. It is shaped like a pear, with a little «head» on top, and weighs at least a kilo.
The paste is compact and soft, in thin layers, without holes and slightly elastic. The way the head is closed varies from dairy to dairy. It is listed among Abruzzo’s traditional food products.
Territory
Where it comes from
The oldest tradition is in the provinces of Chieti and L’Aquila, above all in the mountain and hill areas where cows were raised; today it is made throughout the region.
From field to table
How it is made
- The raw whole milk is curdled with rennet.
- The curd matures until it is ready to «stretch», then it is cut and worked in hot water.
- The pear shape is formed by hand and the head is closed, each cheesemaker in their own way.
- It is firmed in cold water and brine.
- The cheeses are tied in pairs with raffia and hung astride a pole to age, at 10–15 °C and 85–90% humidity, from three months to two years.
In the kitchen
How to use it
Young, it is sweet and buttery; aged, it becomes sharp and can even be grated.
- Sliced with country bread, cured meats and a drizzle of honey
- Grilled on a hot plate or over embers until it forms a crust
- Grated, when well aged, over pasta and soups
- In savoury pies and timballi
Tips
How to choose and store it
- Choose the age: young for the table and the grill, over a year for grating.
- Keep it in cheese paper in the least cold part of the fridge.
- Take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving.
- The thin rind of young cheeses comes off easily.
Good to know: caciocavallo is common across southern Italy; the traditional Abruzzo kind is made from raw cow’s milk and aged for a long time.
Ordering
Where to buy it and whom to contact
Contacts checked on the official websites in October 2026: check availability and prices before ordering.
Caseifici e botteghe d’Abruzzo
Abruzzo caciocavallo is made by many dairies in the region, above all in the provinces of Chieti and L’Aquila. We do not have a verified list of producers: look for it in artisan dairies and local food shops, asking for one made from raw cow’s milk and aged at least three months.
Gallery
Photos
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The image is an illustration drawn for abruzzoparchi.it: we could not find free photos showing the Abruzzo product itself. If you have a photo to share, write to us.
Tradition
History and trivia
Caciocavallo is one of the oldest cheeses of the Apennines: stretching the curd made it possible to keep milk for a long time, and cheeses hung in pairs were easy to carry along the drove roads.
In Abruzzo it is tied to mountain and hill dairies, where each cheesemaker still closes the head of the pear with their own gesture.
Did you know? a young caciocavallo and one aged for two years seem almost two different cheeses: the first sweet and buttery, the second sharp and dry.