What is riavulillo cheese and where can I find it?

Riavulillo is a traditional spicy cheese specialty from Vico Equense and Arola in the Naples province, known for its small size and distinctive peppery flavor. The name comes from the Campanian dialect word for 'little devil,' perfectly describing its fiery character. You can find authentic riavulillo in local cheese shops and markets in these Campania towns.

How is riavulillo different from caciocavallo cheese?

While riavulillo shares the same processing method and shape as caciocavallo (including the characteristic head and raffia closure), it is significantly smaller in size. The key difference is that black olives and hot peppers are mixed into the paste before shaping, giving riavulillo its unique spicy flavor that caciocavallo lacks.

What is the best way to eat riavulillo cheese?

Riavulillo can be enjoyed fresh, but locals recommend grilling it to truly exalt its distinctive flavor profile. When cooked on the grill, the cheese melts beautifully while the peppers and olives intensify, creating an authentic Campanian culinary experience.

What makes riavulillo a traditional specialty of Vico Equense?

Riavulillo has been a traditional cheese-making specialty in Vico Equense and Arola for generations, with its production deeply rooted in local Campanian culture and dialect. The cheese's distinctive characteristics—its small size and spicy 'devil-like' heart—reflect the region's unique approach to cheesemaking and ingredient selection.

What ingredients give riavulillo its spicy flavor?

The distinctive spicy taste of riavulillo comes from black olives and hot peppers that are inserted into the cheese paste before it receives its final shape during production. These ingredients are essential to the cheese's identity and are what set it apart from other similar Italian cheeses.

← Back

Typical Products 📍 Vico Equense, Italy 174 views

Riavulillo

The "riavulillo" in Campanian dialect, is a little devil and it is also the name given to an ancient cheese, traditional specialty of Vico Equense and Arola, in the province of Naples, because of its main characteristics: the small size and the spicy heart. It is a cheese identic...

Photo · Roberta N.

Riavulillo — Vico Equense, Italy.

Location

Vico Equense

Type

Typical Products

Opening hours

—

Weather now

—

↗ Directions

About Riavulillo

Riavulillo - Vico Equense | Secret World Trip Planner

The "riavulillo" in Campanian dialect, is a little devil and it is also the name given to an ancient cheese, traditional specialty of Vico Equense and Arola, in the province of Naples, because of its main characteristics: the small size and the spicy heart. It is a cheese identical to the caciocavallo in the processing and in the shape, which includes a head and the closure with raffia, but much smaller. The substantial difference, besides the size, is the fact that at the end of the production process, before giving it its characteristic shape, black olives and hot peppers are inserted in the paste, which give it its particular spicy flavor. The riavulillo can be eaten fresh or, in order to exalt its flavor, cooked on the grill.