Calories in Cheese, ricotta, whole milk

What makes cheese so powerful?

Ricotta's name comes from the Italian word "recooked," which perfectly describes its origin. Unlike most cheeses that are formed by curdling casein proteins with rennet or acid, ricotta is primarily made from the whey remaining after producing cheeses like mozzarella or provolone. When whey is heated a second time (re-cooked), the residual albumin proteins, which are highly heat-sensitive, coagulate and rise to the top, forming the soft, fluffy curds we know as ricotta. Because albumin proteins don't coagulate at the same temperatures or pH as casein, traditional cheese-making techniques leave them behind in the whey. Historically, Italian dairy farmers saw this leftover whey not as waste, but as an opportunity to extract every bit of nutritional value from their milk. Whole milk ricotta often has a small amount of whole milk or cream added back into the whey to enrich the texture and fat content, yielding a richer, creamier product than its part-skim counterparts. This unique protein composition also gives ricotta its signature sweet, delicate flavor and slightly grainy yet spreadable texture.