A Guide to the Typical Cheeses of Cilento

What are the typical cheeses of Cilento? Let's find out with our guide.

Italy is the land of many typicalities and in the complex and surprising cheese world, Cilento with its typical products manages to find its own space on prestigious tables. Cilento is the birthplace of the Mediterranean Diet. Just this fact alone is enough to understand the genuineness of local cuisine and the close link between good taste and a healthy lifestyle. The gastronomic tradition of Cilento is based on ancient recipes of peasant cuisine, where the real protagonists are simple, humble and recovery ingredients and gastronomic knowledge is a matter of culinary traditions passed down from generation to generation.

There are many typical products of Cilento and they are an excellence not only for the territory of Cilento but also for the national territory. In addition to the beaches, trails, archaeological sites and hinterland of the Cilento National Park, genuine food represents a pride for the territory of Cilento. Some Cilento excellences, from cold cuts to extra virgin olive oil, from wine to legumes are gastronomic excellences awarded by the Slow Food Italy Foundation with the recognition of Slow Food Presidia.

If you are a cheese lover, Cilento can satisfy this passion. From pecorino to podolico caciocavallo, the cheese tradition of Cilento is rich and varied. The highlight remains the buffalo mozzarella which in Cilento is served wrapped in mortella. That's why this white gold of the Piana del Sele is called mozzarella int'a' murtedda, becoming a Slow Food Presidium.

The Cilento's geographical-environmental configuration, consisting of Mediterranean scrub with bushes, shrubs and low herbs, is well suited to the breeding of sheep, goats and cows. The herds graze at the state of wildness and the particular type of milk they produce is transformed into excellent products. No large company works the milk, it is the small and medium-sized family-run companies that transform the milk into cheese using traditional methods. The best cheeses are those born from the processing of milk in the many micro enterprises scattered in the small municipalities of Cilento, those family companies that have been doing this job for a long time and boast an excellent production.

Discover the best Cilento cheeses with the guide to the excellences of Cilento. If you are looking for a good selection of cheeses to eat in Palinuro, we recommend the Brigantessa Restaurant. The authentic and genuine cuisine of those who love and live in Cilento all year round.