Differences between Italian pecorino cheese

Today we want to talk about the differences between the most famous cacio (pecorino) of the Italian tradition that are certainly: Sardo, Romano, Toscano

We start with a simple but not obvious concept, for pecorino cheeses we mean all those cheeses made from sheep’s milk. It is common in some regions to use the word cheese to indicate pecorino cheese. Yes, if you were wondering the famous Cacio e Pepe is made with pecorino cheese!

Pecorino toscano DOP: This cheese exists in two versions: fresh and aged. It also has variations typical of one producer compared to another

The processing provides that the milk can be raw where only filtering, thermized or pasteurized, which instead provide more or less intense heat treatments. The coagulation takes place with the addition of calf or vegetable rennet to 33 someone-38 person for 20-25 minutes. The cylindrical shapes give the cheese shape. Dry or brine salting promotes the formation of the crust, which is then treated.

The ripening goes from 20 days for the fresh one to at least 4 months for the matured one.

Taste: If fresh it has a delicate taste of butter and hay. Seasoned has notes of dried fruit and a stronger taste

Fiore Sardo (Pecorino) DOP:
Fiore Sardo is the only PDO sheep cheese in Sardinia with raw milk and raw pasta.

Fresh and raw whole milk coagulated with lamb or kid rennet in copper boilers. The curd is broken manually and not cooked. The cheese is then placed in the moulds and processed by hand with traditional techniques to promote the removal of excess serum and give the characteristic shape. After the acidification and the purge is put in brine for about 2 days and subjected to a slight smoking.

Finally the maturation from 3 and a half months for the fresh to a minimum of 6 months for that matured. Externally the crust is treated with olive oil or with emulsions of olive oil, wine vinegar and salt.

Taste: Intense and complex flavor with smoky notes, slightly spicy that increases with aging

Pecorino Romano PDO cheese:
The milk is thermised at a maximum temperature of 68 vol. for no more than 15 minutes.

The addition of graft scotta and lamb rennet in the paste initiates the coagulation phase to 38 somebody-40 somebody. Broken the curd and reduced to granules is then baked at 45 It is then put into moulds and begins the salting phase that lasts 70 days in which the cheese receives 3-4 applications of salt.

Taste: If fresh it has a salty and slightly spicy aromatic taste, If seasoned it becomes more salty and more spicy