Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone is a high-fat Italian soft cheese made from cow’s milk. Though not a true cheese — it involves no rennet curdling — it is classed as a curd cheese: cream skimmed from milk used for Parmesan-making receives a bacterial culture, and tartaric (or citric) acid is added, then the cream is gently heated and left to mature and thicken, ripening within just a few days. The result is a white-to-yellow, smooth, spreadable cheese with roughly 75% fat in dry matter, used in desserts (famously tiramisu), savoury dishes and sauces. Fresh, moist and near-neutral in pH, mascarpone is highly perishable — pasteurised cream, hygienic packing and uninterrupted refrigeration are essential.