Basket cheese is a mild dairy product made from cow’s milk and rennet. This cheese is named after the basket in which it is ripened and shaped. Fresh basket cheese is typically eaten soft and is made without salt. Dry basket cheese has a firmer consistency and is lightly salted. This cheese is shaped like a basket, as the name suggests.
Although there are many different types of basket cheese around the world, the main ingredients are usually rennet, cow’s milk, and occasionally salt, depending on whether the cheese is made dry or fresh. The cheese is formed and shaped inside a basket, which is usually made of wicker or another woven, wooden material. The mild cheese is frequently served with bruschetta, crackers, or pita bread.
This cheese is commonly used in Italian Easter dishes and pies, as well as pizza. Basket cheese is commonly used in meat and vegetable pies made in Italy for Easter. It can also be served with toast, honey, or fruit for breakfast. This cheese has a mild flavor that is unlike any other cheese. It tastes similar to ricotta or cream cheese.
Basket cheese does not melt when fried or cooked and retains its shape. Because it does not melt and has a similar consistency to Indian paneer, the unsalted, fresh version of this cheese is similar to Indian paneer. The cheese can be kept fresh for up to six months if it is kept in airtight packaging and refrigerated properly.
The cheese comes in a variety of flavors, depending on where you go, but it’s usually served with olive oil, tomatoes, pasta, and nuts. It can also be diced and used in salads, soups, and other dishes that require a mild, soft cheese. Fruit goes well with this soft cheese, and the two are usually eaten together for breakfast. When making a dish that calls for basket cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, or cream cheese can often be substituted.
Basket cheese can be hard to come by at times, particularly around Easter when it is in high demand. Both the dry and fresh versions of this cheese may not be available in a typical grocery store or market, so those looking for it will have to go to a specialty shop. When purchased ahead of time and kept refrigerated, the cheese will keep for several months.