Mascarpone cheese is high in protein, but also high in fat.

In fact, the world-famous Italian cheese Mascarpone (from the Latin Mascarpone) is nothing more than a type of curd cheese. The very first mention of this high-protein fermented milk product dates back to the end of the sixteenth century. This is one of the most popular European species. Moreover, its popularity, as you understand, is not limited to Europe alone.

The name of this product comes from the Italian language, namely the word “mascarpa”, which literally means cottage cheese.

The appearance of Mascarpone was noted precisely in the Italian province called Lombardy. This cheese is produced from unpasteurized buffalo or cow cream. It belongs to soft cheeses and has a creamy consistency. It has almost no ripening period; it can be consumed fresh after the pressing process and removal of whey takes place.

What can you try to replace it with when preparing Italian dishes?

Instead of Mascarpone, you can use sour cream, preferably homemade with a high percentage of fat content. If you are preparing dessert dishes: sponge cake, various cakes or tubes, then you also need to add sugar to the sour cream. And if your goal is spicy dishes: sauces, pate or lasagna, then various seasonings will perfectly add the necessary taste to sour cream. In addition to sour cream, an excellent substitute for this protein Italian can be a homemade mix of: cream, cottage cheese, butter and milk in small quantities. Believe me, not every taster will notice the difference. Bon appetit!

The production process of this masterpiece of Italian cheese making.

When preparing Mascarpone, use cream with a fat content of at least 25%. After heating them to a temperature of 90°C with constant stirring, add lemon juice or wine vinegar (acid) for the coagulation process. Next, the resulting mass is cooled and freed from whey. After straining, they are pressed in canvas bags. The pressing process necessarily takes place in a room with a low temperature. In fact, this product is more like a creamy mass or protein cream with a fat content of 70-80% in dry matter. No enzymes or leavening are used in its production.

How to recognize and choose the right Italian product?

If the cheese is without additives, its natural color should be white. The consistency is soft and creamy. Pay attention to the calorie content of the product, it is 440 kcal per 100 grams. Mascarpone cheese contains a lot of protein, so it is a very nutritious product, adopted by athletes who actively use it in their daily diet. However, it is not suitable for all athletes: bodybuilders and fitness models should still refrain from consuming it due to the prohibitively high percentage of fat content in this dairy product. It is this annoying moment that makes it unsuitable for modern bodybuilders, fortunately modern sports nutrition perfectly covers this issue - in it the protein percentage tends to hundreds, and the fat content level is reduced to complete zero...

Purchase and storage aspects:

Currently, a sufficient number of companies are engaged in the production of this product, so before making a purchase it is worth taking a closer look at all the proposed options. First of all, pay attention to the fat content of the product. It must be at least 80% dry matter. This will mean that the product you have chosen does not contain diluted cream or other thickeners or guar gum. Naturally, pay attention to the expiration date, and store it at home and consume it no longer than two days after opening the package, placing it in a fairly cool place at a temperature not exceeding zero degrees.