Paddraccio is a cheese characteristic of Rotonda, Basilicata

Basilicata

Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...

 in southern Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

Production

The cheese is produced between April and July. Raw milk is heated to 37-38 degrees before the (sheep or goat) rennet

Rennet

Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...

 is added. The cheese sets in 20 – 30 minutes.

When the curds break, the cheese is transferred to a wicker container and worked with the fingers. It is then pressed, using the flat of the hand, to end up with a spherical shape. Finally the cheese is wrapped in fern leaves.

This is a fresh cheese with no added salt: it needs no ripening time.

History

In the past the cheese was used by shepherds to repay such services as the writing of a letter and in other exchanges of goods and / or services.

During Ascension Day young priests would call on farmers to ask for milk in order to prepare the local dish laganeddre and on those days farmers, in order to have the milk available to give, avoided making their own cheese.