ricota
/riˈkota/
Ricotta cheese in Spanish is ricota.
ricota refers to a soft, creamy white cheese made from sheep or cow milk whey. You can also refer to it as queso ricota by adding the word for cheese before the specific type.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use the term requesón instead of ricota to refer to ricotta cheese.
How do you pronounce it?
/riˈkota/
Did you know?
- While ricota is a noun, the root rico in Spanish means 'rich' or 'delicious', which often leads learners to mistakenly associate the cheese's name with its flavor.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, requesón is traditionally used as a filling for savory pastries and empanadas rather than as a dessert topping.
- The term 'ricota' is a direct phonetic loan from the Italian 'ricotta', meaning 'cooked' or 're-cooked'.
Examples in context
- ¿Le gustaría probar nuestro queso ricotta?Would you like to try our ricotta cheese?
- Sí, pero necesitamos ricotta para la lasaña.Yes, but we need ricotta for the lasagna.
- La ricota es muy suave.The ricotta is very soft.
- Compré un poco de ricota para la lasaña.I bought some ricotta for the lasagna.
- ¿Quieres añadir ricota a tu pasta?Do you want to add ricotta to your pasta?
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are preparing lunch in the kitchen.
- Elena¿Tienes la ricota en la nevera?Do you have the ricotta in the fridge?
- AlejandroSí, la tengo aquí.Yes, I have it here.
- ElenaPerfecto, la usaremos para el postre.Perfect, we will use it for dessert.
- AlejandroMe parece una buena idea.I think that is a good idea.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ricota, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ricota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
