Pecorino is an Italian sheep cheese. The name pecorino comes from the Italian word pecora which means sheep. Because there are few cows in the hills of central Italy and therefore little cow’s milk is available, sheep’s milk is mainly used to make cheeses. Many variations in hardness and ripeness are available for that cheese. (Pecorino is also a grape variety that occurs in Abruzzo, among others.)
Different colors of Italian pecorino
The color of the pecorino crust depends on the whims of the maker. Some cheese makers rub the cheeses with tomato paste and others with oil and ash. The cheese also darkens in color during ripening. Smell and taste also change during the ripening process. Five types are best known of the pecorino. However, due to the different preparation methods, each variety also has countless flavor variations.
How is pecorino made?
First, the milk, which is used to make pecorino cheese, is curdled with usually goat rennet or lamb rennet. Wild thistle blossom, safflower or fig juice is sometimes used. This substance should be kept warm in buckets but should not be placed on the fire or placed too far from the fire. When curd has formed, it is placed in molds or baskets where the whey must be quickly removed from the solid mass. This process can be promoted by placing a weight on it. Finally, the formed cheese is removed from the molds or baskets and then, covered with salt, placed in a dark and cool place.
Five major types
The five main types of pecorino are hard pecorino romano, soft pecorino sardo, Pecorino crotonese, Pecorino lucano and Casu marzu. They all have very distinctive features.
Hard pecorino romano
The hard and quite salty varieties of pecorino romano come from Sardinia and Lazio and are also widely available outside Italy. The addition romano suggests that the cheese has to do with Rome, but pecorino romano really does not come from the region of Rome. However, the cheese was so popular in Rome that it was added romano.
Salty taste
The cheeses have obtained their salty taste by washing them with sea water during preparation. The characteristic salty taste of the pecorino romano comes into its own in pasta dishes with strong-tasting sauces. Especially in Pasta all’Amatriciana, which is often eaten in the Rome region.
Different tastes
The different flavors are created, among other things, by the use of calf rennet, lamb rennet or goat rennet and the different manufacturing methods. But mainly because of the grasses and herbs that the sheep have fed on.
Ripening and storing
Pecorino romano takes at least eight months to ripen. More than a year of maturation is required to obtain the really spicy taste and a grainy texture. The hard pecorino is a cooked cheese that can be stored for a long time.
Soft pecorino sardo
The less hard types of pecorino sardo with a slightly sweet taste come from Sardinia, Tuscany and Umbria and are among the most popular cheeses there. The pecorino sardo is particularly popular in Sardinia and is often used in pasta dishes with a light sauce or without sauce. The fact that the pecorino sardo also occurs in Tuscany and Umbria has its origin in the fact that Sardinian shepherds came to graze their flocks on the harvested grain fields of those two regions. The dessert with the combination of pecorino and pear is typically Tuscan. The cheese is also often eaten as an after-meal dessert.
Pecorino crotonesis
Pecorino crotonese is made from whole sheep’s milk and has a fat content of at least 40%. The cylindrical cheeses show the impressions of the basket in which they were prepared. It is a hard type of cheese. The cheese has few holes and can be grated well for over the pasta. Pecorino crotonese is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) which protects it against counterfeiting in the European Union.
Pecorino lucano
The pecorino lucano is made in farms in the Italian province of Potenza. The best-known variant comes from Filiano, a municipality with a relatively small number of inhabitants. The pecorino from Filiano also has a PDO.
Casu marzu
Casu marzu has a special name. Casu marzu means in Sardinian rotten cheese, but the cheese is also known by the names, casu cundídu, casu fràzigu, casu modde or in Italian formaggio marcio. In addition to the special name, the cheese also has a special feature, namely that it contains larvae that are also eaten by some enthusiasts. The larvae settle in the cheese because it ripens for so long into a form of putrefaction. The aroma of the cheese is very pungent and the taste is ammonia-like. The cheese burns lightly on the tongue and has a very long aftertaste.