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Pecorino Sardo PDO Link to product report The Pecorino Sardo, in its two varieties, sweet and mature, is one of the most famous of Italian cheese at an international level. The first certain news on its origin date back to the end of the 16th century. At that time cheese was produced from raw milk and heated by immerging red-hot stones and denominated white, fine red and smoked. Among these, the fine red and the smoked were considered relatives of the Pecorino Sardo. How it is consumed The Pecorino Sardo is sold in whole pieces of slices of different dimensions. It can be eaten as a main dish, cut in flakes and served with grapes, pears or fresh vegetables. Or it is used with ham rolls, country cakes and typical dishes of the Sardegna traditional cuisine. The wines to accompany this cheese are the Vermentino di Gallura, the Vermentino di Sardegna, the Monica di Sardegna. The mature Pecorino Sardo is served with Cannonau di Sardegna, Velletri rosso, Brunello di Montalcino and the red wine Carignano del Sulcis. How it is conserved The Pecorino Sardo, both in the “sweet” version and the “mature” version has an ability of being preserved for a long period. The times and modality of preservation are always indicated on the etiquette of the producer and must be scrupulously observed, especially during the summer period. How it is produced The dough is obtained from full cream sheep milk to which veal curd is added. It is then dripped to obtain curdle lumps of the dimensions of a nut for the “sweet” type, and a grain of rice for the “mature” type. After the cooking phase, pressing, salting and maturation follow. For the “sweet” type a period of maturation of 20 to 60 days is foreseen, and for the “mature” type, a period of not less than 120 days. Product report
| Categories | Semi cooked cheese produced from sheep milk in two types, sweet and mature |
| Description | The sweet Pecorino Sardo has a very short period of maturation, and its dough it compact of slightly ocellated, it is white in colour and its weight varies from 1 to 2.3 kg; the mature type presents a whitish to pale yellowish colour, it is compact with very minute ocellations, tender and elastic, and with time, it acquires a more consistent structure, with some grains; its weight varies from 1.7 to 4 kg |
| Characteristics | The sweet Pecorino Sardo has a delicate, aromatic and slightly acid taste; the mature version has a strong taste and pleasantly spicy |
| Production zone | The area of production and maturation of the Pecorino Sardo cheese includes the entire administrative territory of the Sardegna Region |
| Present on market | All year round |
| Normative references | European registration with Council regulation (CE) n. 1263/96 issued on GUCE L 163, 2nd July 1996; national recognition with DPCM 4th November 1991 on GURI n. 83, 8th April 1991 |
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