Sheep Ricotta

Let me tell you about Sheep Ricotta, and why it sits so differently on the spoon than the cow's milk version next to it in the fridge.

Ricotta means "recooked" — that's exactly what it is. Reheated, gathered, spooned into its basket while still warm. Sheep Ricotta has a fuller taste and a creamier, almost glossy texture compared with the cow's milk kind — never rubbery, never squeaky.

Choose it by smell first. It should smell faintly sweet, milky, maybe a little grassy — never sour, never sharp like yogurt gone wrong. Look at the surface: it should glisten slightly, like something still alive, not dull or crusted over. Dip a spoon in, and feel how it gives — soft, yielding, like it wants to fall apart but hasn't yet.

Some people say ricotta is just a cheese, so you can drain it hard like any curd cheese. No! Hang it over the sink too long, press it too hard, and you'll feel the change under your hands — it goes from soft and giving to dry and crumbly. Drain it gently, just enough to firm it, and you keep the silky, spoonable filling instead of a chalky one that falls apart in your fingers.