Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a mild, creamy double cream cheese with a fat content of 80 % in dry matter. It is made ​​of cream, which is curdled with lemon, wine or acetic acid. Mascarpone is used, among other things, as an ingredient for desserts (eg tiramisu ) and pie fillings.

Mascarpone is relatively quickly perishable, which is why he was made earlier, especially in winter. As he readily accepts foreign odors, it should be kept tightly closed.

Name and origin

Originally the product originates from the Lombard Lodi, where Mascherpa [ mas'kɛrpa ] or Mascarpia is the dialect name for ricotta, but today it is made in Italy and in other countries.

To avoid conflicts due to the supposedly protected name mascarpone, made ​​in Germany mascarpone was marketed as " fresh cheese Italian style " and came as indigenous product in Austria as Mascarino in trade or is there also called " Tiramisu Cheese ". A low-fat version of Mascarino is marked with the additional light.

However, mascarpone is not a food with a protected designation of origin ( " PDO " ) or a protected geographical indication ( " PGI "). He may no longer - be produced anywhere - as long as the packaging says nothing about the origin.

Production

For the preparation of cream is heated to a temperature of 90 ° C and curdled by adding citric acid, tartaric acid or acetic acid. The curd is separated by straining the whey. Before bottling the mascarpone mass is still mostly homogenized.

Use

The most famous dessert which is made with mascarpone, tiramisu is. Here, a mascarpone cream is layered alternately with soaked ladyfingers and well cooled.

A special mild, creamy gorgonzola cheese form of is treated as a cake with alternating layers of gorgonzola and mascarpone, a trade name for it is Torta San Gaudenzio.