The Mugello area, in Tuscany, in addition to having a great historical and cultural tradition and being famous today especially for the motor plant that hosts the most important motorcycling and motor racing races, also has a great gastronomic and a long culinary tradition. In Mugello typical foods are produced which are famous not only throughout Italy but also in various areas of Europe and the world. Among these, particular attention should be given to cheeses, specifically soft cheeses. What perhaps most of all represents the soul of this land and the raviggiolo of Mugello. Let’s see its history, its characteristics and how it is produced.

The history of raviggiolo

It is precisely because of its history that raviggiolo has become a very typical and particular cheese of this area.

In fact, in ancient times, it was a food consumed in the family and produced on the spot, by all those poor nuclei who perhaps only owned a cow, whose milk was curdled quickly and consumed quickly.

This method of preparation, only slightly refined, has been preserved over time to the present day. Even today, in fact, the raviggiolo should be consumed within the day; for this reason, small portions are preferred, seasoned to taste or as an accompaniment to the main dish instead of the typical bread.

How Mugello cheese is made

As mentioned, it is a cheese obtained quickly from curdled milk.

The curd is quickly placed in pre-formed molds and placed in a cold room; it then undergoes a light salting process while it is in the boiler, before the milk coagulates.

It is a very quick procedure, as is the deterioration of this cheese which, moreover, does not even have a rind and is easily attacked by bacteria present in the air.

Precisely for this reason, in addition to the advice to consume it quickly, it is very difficult to find it from various retailers as its storage or transport process is complicated, but it is easily purchasable and consumable in all those areas of local zero-kilometer production, which allow rapid consumption of locally produced food.

With what it is possible to combine Raviggiolo

Many people dress raviggiolo with simple oil and pepper and accompany it with a fairly light white wine; however, in recent years, the tradition has evolved to transform the raviggiolo into a perfect filling for ravioli and tortellini, which are also fresh and therefore require rapid consumption.

Curiosities about raviggiolo

This fresh soft cheese is generally produced and consumed only in the Mugello area, but it is not uncommon to find some territorial realities, in particular along the Emilian Apennines on the border with Tuscany, where this cheese is also produced in its version. vegetarian, which includes a vegetable coagulant.

This is certainly not a huge difference, but it contributes to bringing even all those people who ideologically find it difficult to approach foods deriving from the processing of animal milk to this typical dish.