Ricotta
/ʁiˈkɔta/
The English phrase "ricotta cheese" is translated into German as Ricotta.
Ricotta refers to the soft, creamy Italian whey cheese. You may also use the phrase Ricotta-Käse if you wish to explicitly include the German word for cheese.
Which one should you use?
You can also say Ricotta-Käse to explicitly include the word for cheese.
How does it change in a sentence?
In German, Ricotta is used as a mass noun and does not change its form in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁiˈkɔta/
Did you know?
- The name Ricotta is a literal description of the cooking process, meaning 'cooked again' because the cheese is made by reheating the leftover whey from previous cheese production.
- While Ricotta is the standard term, Germans often distinguish between Ricotta and Quark, a traditional German curd cheese with a similar texture but a different taste profile.
- In German recipes, Ricotta is frequently substituted with Topfen, a term used primarily in Austria and Southern Germany for a similar fresh curd cheese.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigung, können Sie mir sagen, wo ich den Ricotta-Käse finde?Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find the ricotta cheese?
- Ich mag Ricotta sehr.I like ricotta very much.
- Wir brauchen Ricotta für den Kuchen.We need ricotta for the cake.
- Hast du Ricotta im Kühlschrank?Do you have ricotta in the fridge?
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are in the kitchen preparing a meal.
- JuliaFelix, hast du Ricotta gekauft?Felix, did you buy ricotta?
- FelixJa, der Ricotta steht im Regal.Yes, the ricotta is on the shelf.
- JuliaGut, dann können wir die Pasta machen.Good, then we can make the pasta.
- FelixIch helfe dir gerne dabei.I am happy to help you with that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Ricotta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ricotta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
