Calabria — widespread, particularly rural and coastal Calabria
Caciocavallo cheese 'hanged' (impiccato) over a flame — a Calabrian preparation where a whole caciocavallo is suspended on a stick above an open flame or charcoal grill, and the cheese's surface melts and drips onto bread or vegetables placed below. The cheese is turned as needed while it softens from the outside in; the crust caramelises while the interior becomes molten. Eaten by scraping the melted surface with bread, repeatedly, until the cheese is consumed. An ancient, theatrical, social eating ritual.
The caciocavallo's mild, milky character becomes concentrated as the surface caramelises; the molten cheese on bread is simultaneously fresh-dairy and smoky-caramelised; the ritual of shared scraping and wine makes this as much a social experience as a culinary one
{"Suspend the caciocavallo on a sturdy wooden or iron skewer 15–20cm above medium flames — too close and the outside chars before the interior softens; too far and nothing melts","Turn the cheese every 3–4 minutes to develop even surface softening — one side softens while the other hardens again if not turned","Place thick bread slices below the cheese from the start — they collect the dripping molten cheese, which is the most prized element","The cheese is not fully melted — the goal is a molten outer layer on a still-solid interior that can be repeatedly 'shaved' with bread","Use a whole, young (3–6 month) caciocavallo Silano DOP — aged cheese melts less predictably and chars more aggressively"}
{"The stick through the knot of the caciocavallo's shape is where it is traditionally hung — this is why the cheese has its characteristic gourd shape with a neck for hanging","In the Calabrian tradition, the cheese is shared over wine (Cirò rosso) with the participants rotating bread under the cheese in turn","Slices of firm polenta placed below the cheese instead of bread create a more substantial vehicle for the melted cheese","For indoor preparation: a candle flame under an oven-safe dish with the cheese in a wire rack above produces a controlled version of the outdoor ritual"}
{"Too-high heat — caramelises the exterior before the interior warms; the cheese surface should bubble and drip, not char","Not turning regularly — one surface hardens into a leathery skin while the other over-melts","Using aged caciocavallo — the drier, harder paste of aged cheese doesn't achieve the same flowing melt","Eating alone — this is a communal ritual that requires multiple people sharing the same cheese over an extended period"}
La Cucina Calabrese (Rubbettino Editore)