Italians say that to consider Mascarpone as ordinary cream cheese is equivalent to what to say about Mona Lisa - just a picture. This is a great product with a rich taste, delicate texture and milky white color, which they say that it is the taste of paradise on earth.
What is mascarpone? Those who try for the first time such a delicious product, at first think that it is very tender, sweet and tasty sour cream. But this is not so. Mascarpone is a cheese made from cream, which has a very soft creamy texture and a delicate taste.
The homeland of this extremely delicious cheese is considered to be Lombardy, one of the provinces of Italy. It is believed that this cheese first appeared in a small village located southwest of Milan between Lodi and Abbitegrasso more than five centuries ago. There are several versions explaining its name. According to one, it came from one of the ricotta varieties, soft cream cheese, which sounds like “mascarpia”.
In another, the name is based on the famous Spanish phrase “better than good” in the original sounding like “mas que bueno”. Whatever the origin, today we can eat this delicious cheese.
Unfortunately, we do not know either the name of the person who prepared the mascarpone cheese for the first time, or the exact date of its appearance.
This cheese is prepared simply, which does not detract from its merits. Its magnificent properties are primarily due to the fertile land on which extremely fragrant grass and flowers grow in meadows. The taste of milk from cows grazing in these meadows turns out to be extraordinary, which explains the product’s popularity.
This wonderful milk is mixed with cream, stirred well and left in the cold for twelve hours. During this time, the mixture becomes thick, then it is placed in canvas bags and suspended to free from excess fluid. So the day goes by, after which the product is ready for packaging.
Mascarpone cheese is sometimes prepared using the express method. At the same time, fatty cream collected from the milk of cows or buffalo is subjected to heating up to ninety degrees. To make them curdle faster, add wine vinegar or lemon juice. The finished cheese is separated from the whey without squeezing and without exposure.
Mascarpone cheese is a perishable product, and therefore it should be eaten immediately after cooking. The advent of vacuum packaging made it possible to transport this cheese over long distances, as the shelf life increased. After you open the jar of mascarpone, it must be eaten in three days. It is clear that they store it in the refrigerator.
Besides the fact that the mascarpone cheese is incredibly tasty, it is also extremely healthy. Like any cheese, it contains easily digestible proteins, which contain a large number of essential amino acids and carbohydrates that can quickly replenish human energy costs, a sufficient amount of calcium, phosphorus and potassium, as well as other trace elements. It also contains B vitamins, vitamin A, PP, C and K, which makes it a very useful product for the heart, blood vessels and nerves. If you regularly use this dairy product, it will contribute to the growth and restoration of bones, muscles and ligaments. For patients with arthritis and arthrosis, mascarpone will help reduce joint pain.
A large number of antioxidants in this cheese enables the body to more effectively resist the effects of the environment at the cellular level. They also take part in the processes of blood formation and activate the immune system. Using cream cheese will be helpful in controlling stress, as tryptophan has a calming effect on the nervous system. For those who have trouble sleeping, irritability, mood swings and depression, mascarpone cheese will be very helpful.
Of course, no matter how tasty and wonderful any product is, and mascarpone cheese is no exception, there will always be people who cannot use it. Who is this? Of course, those who cannot be fat, and these are children who are not yet two years old, full of people, hypertensive patients, people with chronic cholecystitis, hepatitis, atherosclerosis.