Soft Princess Sheep Caciotta

Sheep's Milk – Bracciano

The creamy elegance of sheep's milk in a caciotta that caresses the palate

The Soft Sheep Caciotta Princess of Sergio Pitzalis

Sergio Pitzalis's Caciotta Morbida di Pecora Principessa is a semi-fresh soft cheese that represents the evolution of Primo Sale through a short, controlled aging process that develops aromatic complexity, a creamy, velvety texture, and the characteristic thin rind that distinguishes young caciottas, while maintaining a delicate sweetness and softness that still evoke the freshness of freshly processed sheep's milk. Made with pasteurized sheep's milk from Bracciano—a lakeside area in northern Lazio historically suited to sheep herding, with fertile pastures enriched by volcanic soils and a centuries-old cheesemaking tradition—this caciotta represents a virtuous balance between the immediate freshness of young cheeses and the aromatic complexity that begins to emerge with a short aging period (typically 15-30 days).

Production follows the classic dairy process for soft cheeses: pasteurized sheep's milk is inoculated with selected lactic acid bacteria that initiate acid fermentation, developing characteristic aromas. Natural rennet is added to coagulate the proteins, forming curd. It is left to rest until the curd reaches the optimal consistency, then broken into medium-sized pieces (larger than Primo Sale to obtain a softer, moister cheese), gently drained to preserve moisture, placed in bundles that give it its characteristic cylindrical shape, surface salted or briefly brined, and left to mature in cool, humid, controlled environments where it develops a thin natural rind and the cheese matures slowly, acquiring a layered creaminess.

Caciotta Principessa has a cylindrical shape and typically weighs 500g–1,5kg. It has a thin, elastic rind of a pale straw yellow color, occasionally with natural white surface mold (a sign of artisanal aging in non-sterile environments). It's a soft, creamy, ivory-white interior tending toward pale straw. Its texture ranges from semi-firm near the rind to almost spreadable and creamy at the center (in young cheeses). It also has fine, irregularly distributed eyes. On the nose, it exudes delicate aromas of sweet sheep's milk, fresh butter, cream, and yogurt, with subtle hints of that characteristic "ovine" note that becomes dominant in aged pecorino cheeses but remains subtle here, and very subtle herbaceous nuances derived from the pastures.

On the palate, the flavor is a sublime balance between a still-present milky sweetness (a legacy of freshness), a delicate, emerging flavor (from the salt and initial maturation), a buttery creaminess that envelops the palate, a pleasant fresh acidity brought by the lactic ferments, and a smooth, clean finish with medium persistence that leaves a satisfying, yet unheavy, sensation. A cheese that the name "Principessa" perfectly describes: elegant, delicate yet distinctive, accessible yet refined, versatile yet distinctive.
 
 
 

The roots of sheep's cheese are deep in the Central Italian dairy tradition.

Caciotta is a very common type of cheese in Central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), traditionally made with sheep's, cow's, goat's, or a mixture of milk, depending on local availability and the season. The name "caciotta" (diminutive of "cacio," an archaic term for cheese) generically refers to soft or semi-hard cheeses, small to medium in size, with a flattened cylindrical shape and a short to medium maturation period. These cheeses were once the daily produce of peasant and pastoral families for home consumption or sale at local markets.

Sheep's milk caciotta, in particular, became popular in the pastoral areas of Lazio (the Roman countryside, Castelli Romani, and the Bracciano-Vico-Bolsena lake area), where sheep herding was a key economic activity. Unlike aged pecorino cheeses intended for long-term storage and long-distance trade, caciotta cheeses were consumed young, offering a completely different taste experience: sweetness rather than aggressive saltiness, softness rather than crumbly firmness, delicacy rather than aromatic power.

The short, controlled maturation process (typically 15-45 days) allowed the cheese to develop a protective rind that extended its shelf life compared to very fresh cheeses like Primo Sale (which last just a few days) while maintaining pleasant organoleptic characteristics that are accessible even to palates that find mature pecorino cheeses too strong or salty.
 
 
 

Choosing Sheep's Caciotta means concentrated proteins and noble fats

Semi-fresh soft sheep's milk cheese offers a rich nutritional profile: abundant high-biological-value proteins (approximately 20-24g per 100g) with all the essential amino acids, calcium in very high concentrations (approximately 700-900mg per 100g, among the richest cheeses), phosphorus for bone health, concentrated B vitamins (B2 riboflavin, B12 cobalamin, particularly abundant and essential for vegetarians who consume dairy products), vitamin A for vision and skin, and fats that in sheep's milk have an interesting profile with the presence of easily metabolizable medium-chain fatty acids and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) with proven beneficial properties.

Sheep's milk is naturally richer and more concentrated than cow's milk (it contains about double the protein and fat), making sheep's milk cheeses particularly nutritious and filling. The calorie content is moderate to high (about 300-350 kcal per 100g depending on residual moisture and fat content), but the portions consumed provide dense nutrition with protein, calcium, and quality energy. Lactose is partially reduced by lactic fermentation but still present in significant quantities, so it may not be tolerated by those with severe lactose intolerance.

A cheese that deeply nourishes the body and senses, offering an elegant and refined taste experience accessible even to those who find aged cheeses too intense.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Soft Princess Sheep's Cheese

• PURE TASTING AND CUTTING BOARDS
  Bring the Caciotta to room temperature 30-60 minutes before serving to enhance its creaminess and aroma. Cut into slices or wedges and serve on a cutting board with organic seeded bread in a loaf pan, honey delicate of acacia, Pecan nuts, pears mature, jams delicate. Combine White wines fresh Lazio, rosé light.
• MELTING ON HOT PREPARATIONS
  Cut into cubes or thin slices and serve on hot grilled vegetables, organic Lioness red potatoes baked, polenta. Use for gourmet white pizzas, stuffed focaccias. Melt in Easter Creamy dishes, risottos, and gnocchi, where it creates a velvety creaminess. Add to lasagna and cannelloni.
• SALADS, APPETIZERS AND VARIOUS PREPARATIONS
  Cut into cubes for salads mixed with rocket salad, organic long red radicchio, organic raw shelled hazelnuts, organic pomegranateUse in omelettes, savory pies, quiches. Spread (if very creamy at the center) on bruschetta, crostini. Grate on soups, soups.

The Producer: Sergio Pitzalis

Sergio Pitzalis is an artisan cheesemaker specializing in quality sheep's milk cheeses that express the excellence of sheep's milk from the Bracciano area, a region in Lazio historically devoted to sheep farming. Producing both very fresh cheeses (Primo Sale), semi-fresh soft cheeses (Caciotta Principessa), and aged cheeses, Sergio Pitzalis offers a comprehensive range that allows you to explore the entire aromatic and textual evolution of sheep's milk, from its delicate youth to its complex, prolonged maturation. Each wheel is a testament to authentic cheesemaking craftsmanship, precise timing, controlled aging environments, and daily dedication to the craft.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Pasteurized sheep's milk, lactic ferments, natural rennet, salt.
 
 
 

Indicative Nutritional Values ​​(per 100g of product)

• Energy: about 300-350 kcal
• Protein: 20-24g (high biological value)
• Fat: 22-28g (of which saturated 14-18g)
• Carbohydrates: 1-3g (partially reduced residual lactose)
• Calcium: 700-900mg
• Salt: variable (moderate)

Very rich in noble proteins, abundant calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B2 and B12, vitamin A, CLA.
 
 
 

Allergens

Contains sheep's milk and dairy products. May contain traces of nuts.
 
 
 

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