MASCARPONE

A soft, white, fresh cream cheese. In fact, it is not cheese at all, but rather the result of a culture being added to the cream skimmed off the milk. After the culture has been added, the cream is gently heated, then allowed to mature and thicken. This whitish to straw-yellow, creamy, mild fresh cheese is compact, but supple and spreadable and it is added to famous Italian desserts, sometimes accompanied by cognac. Frequently it is used for the preparation of certain dishes and sauces. It takes only a few days to ripen. The Mascarpone should taste fresh and reminiscent of milk. It should be mild and delicate. There should be a hint of sourness. The colour should be white; however, seasonally the cheese can be more yellow due to the cows' diet of grasses.