Lombardy · Italy
Mascarpone.
Mascarpone is cream persuaded to become cheese: thick, silken, and luxuriously rich, with a delicate sweetness and the faintest lactic edge. It spreads like dense whipped butter and dissolves on the tongue — the velvet foundation of tiramisù and a quiet luxury on its own.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Mascarpone was born in Lombardy, between Lodi and Abbiategrasso, by the late sixteenth century — less a conventional cheese than a triumph of cream. Fresh cream is gently heated and curdled with a touch of citric or tartaric acid, then drained until thick; no rennet, no aging, just concentration of richness.
For centuries it was a local winter delicacy, eaten with sugar or cocoa, until tiramisù conquered the world in the late twentieth century and took mascarpone with it. Today it enriches risotti and sauces as readily as desserts.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Fresh
- Rind
- rindless
- Age
- 0 mo
- Intensity
- 1 / 5
- Texture
- fresh, creamy, smooth
Tasting profile
Quiet on every axis.
Fresh cheeses whisper — Mascarpone sits low and even across the board. That evenness is the profile.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100 g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100 g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for fresh cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about 20–30 min before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Slice with a wet knife or simply spoon it — fresh cheeses don't need ceremony.
Store
Fresh and brined cheeses keep best covered in their liquid — and are happiest eaten within days.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Mascarpone.
58 pairings across 9 categories.
Wine
Spirits
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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Substitutes
No Mascarpone at the counter?
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
Take it with you
Want to remember this one?.
Log it, pair it, and keep your own tasting notes — Caseo is free.
