The Modicana is a bovine breed present in Sicily for centuries and is characterized by a red coat, with shades from vinous to black (especially in males). They are bred in the county of Modica, from which the breed takes its name.

Its decline, which to date sees only 2000 specimens, is linked to the introduction of mechanical means, to the poor yield both in milk (3000 liters per year) and at slaughter (less than 55%).

The particular characteristic of Modicana is that it is extremely rustic: it manages to survive the torrid Mediterranean summers, feeding mainly on pasture (with an integration in the stable in periods when this is scarce).

Brada all year round, is hospitalized only for milking: like all wild cows, moreover, she gives milk only if at her side there is the calf. The milk produced is therefore rare and extraordinary: ideal raw material for Caciocavallo, one of the finest Sicilian cheeses. It could be defined as the ingot of the Sicani Mountains, for the parallelepiped shape and the intensely golden crust with advanced seasoning: the cheesemaker must have great physical strength and at the same time a goldsmith's touch to shape it. The final phase of spinning (called closure) must transform the dough into a perfect sphere that does not present any split.

The transition from sphere to parellelepipedo is obtained thanks to the help of the "mastredda", a wooden table on which the cheese is laid and shaped with the help of heavy pieces of wood.

For proper care of the corners and rounded sides of the form, the cheesemaker is forced to turn the form every 10, 30, 60 minutes for 6-8 hours.