It is a typical cheese produced seasonally with milk from sheep and goats raised in the pastures of Moliterno and neighboring municipalities (sheep’s milk (70%) and goat’s milk (30%) raised in the wild).
The curd, obtained from the coagulation of whole, raw milk with the addition of lamb or goat rennet, is broken into lumps and, after resting for a few minutes, is pressed into rush baskets (hence the name "Canestrato") which give it the classic streaks that will form the crust.
Hard and uniform in texture, it is cylindrical in shape and weighs from 2 to 5 kg, with a spicy and aromatic flavor. The seasoning of Canestrato di Moliterno lasts about eight months. According to local tradition, Canestrato IGP di Moliterno is distinguished according to the period of aging: primitive if the aging period does not exceed six months; aged if the aging period does not exceed twelve months; extra aged if the aging period exceeds one year. The color of the rind of Canestrato IGP di Moliterno varies according to the aging period: we will have a yellow color in the primitive type, whereas a darker color in the aged type.
