Mascarpone
Mascarpone (English: /ˌmæskɑrˈpoʊniː/ or /ˈmɑrskəpoʊn/, Italian: [maskarˈpone]) is an Italian triple-cream cheese made from crème fraîche, denatured with tartaric acid.[1] Sometimes buttermilk is added as well, depending on the brand. After denaturation, whey is removed without pressing or aging. One can manufacture mascarpone by using cream, tartaric or citric acid, or even lemon juice.[2]
Mascarpone is milky-white in color and is easily spread. It is used in various dishes of the Lombardy region of Italy, where it is a specialty. It is a main ingredient of tiramisu. It is sometimes used instead of butter or Parmesan cheese to thicken and enrich risotto.
Origins
Mascarpone originated in the area between Lodi and Abbiategrasso, Italy, southwest of Milan, probably in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is said to come from mascarpa, a milk product made from the whey of stracchino (shortly-aged cheese), or from mascarpia, the word in the local dialect for ricotta (although mascarpone is not made from whey, as is ricotta).
According to cuisine expert and journalist Gianni Brera, the correct name of the cheese should be mascherpone (also credited as a dismissed variant of the word), originally stemming from Cascina Mascherpa, a farmhouse that once was located halfway between Milan and Pavia, belonging to the Mascherpa family.
References
- ↑ Mascarpone on Cheese.com
- ↑ Instructions for making your own fresh mascarpone from University of Cincinnati Clermont College
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