Pecorino Cheese - The Ongoing Renaissance

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are,” one of the most influential gastronomy writers of all time, Brillat-Savarin, once wrote. Though there have been countless corollaries to this widely expounded adage, one more could be added: Tell us what your sheep eats, and we’ll tell you all about your pecorino. The unique allure and complex flavors of Italian pecorino cheese is undeniably linked to the serene environment in which the sheep are raised, and the wholesome grasses on which they feed. Since ancient times, throughout much of Italy, herds of sheep and goats, led by devoted dogs and nomadic shepherds, undergo a yearly transumanza—a seasonal migration following a familiar path toward greener pastures and cooler temperatures in the summer months, trekking up into the mountains toward the high meadows, then returning home in the autumn; in the winter, the shepherds and their flocks migrate to milder areas closer to the coasts, like the green plains of the Maremma in western Tuscany or Sardinia’s Campidano region. A great pecorino cheese contains all the layered scents and heady aromas of the open pastures where the sheep graze.  

There are almost as many adjectives and terms for describing the complicated and varied tastes and tonalities of pecorino as there are for wine—descriptions ranging from “tangy” to “straw overtones” and “smoky perfumes.” There are seemingly infinite regional and local varieties of pecorino (the word derives simply from “pecora,” the Italian word for sheep) with hundreds of different types made throughout the central and southern regions of Italy, and the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Some are sold only locally; others are distributed nationally and beyond.  In the most prosaic terms, pecorino can be described as a firm, salty cheese made from fresh whole sheep’s milk—occasionally from a blend of sheep and goat’s milk. It’s available in three different forms: fresh or “pecorino fresco”; semi-hard or “semi-stagionato”; and hard or “stagionato.” (Stagionatura is the Italian term for “seasoned” or “aged.”) The longer the pecorino ages, the saltier and harder it becomes—making it excellent for grating. As the most commonly used accompaniment to pasta dishes in the lower two-thirds of Italy, pecorino is one of the most essential cheeses in Italian cuisine.

Some believe pecorino is the oldest cheese in the world, dating it as far back as 5000 years. Though dates are open to speculation, what is certain is that sheep farming has played an essential part in the lives of Mediterranean families for countless centuries. In ancient times, almost all of a family’s needs could be entirely provided by a small herd of sheep—sheep’s milk, cheese and meat provided a healthy, protein-rich diet; sheep’s fleece could be spun into warm blankets or knit into woolen garments. Sheep farming—called pastorizia in Italian—spread over much of Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia), where the long tradition of sheep farming is strongly linked to the history of rural life. One can only imagine the important place pecorino must have held in daily life thousands of years ago: a small wheel of cheese wrapped in a cloth could sustain a traveler, a shepherd, or a soldier for days, even weeks. A chunk of pecorino—and with some luck, some fava beans or raw baccelli (pods of beans), and maybe even some olives—along with a slice of bread revived over a bonfire, probably provided many a solitary feast under an oak or chestnut tree. For millennia, pecorino helped sustain the population of Italy—both in the rural countryside and in the urban centers.

But, in the years of industrialization following World War I, the entire rural peninsula of Italy suffered an enormous displacement of labor—farmers from all over the country flocked to the cities for work in factories, creating a dramatic shortage of agrarian labor; the mass migration of many Italians to the Americas compounded the crisis in agriculture. Fortunately, in the early 60s, thanks to the wisdom of some state and regional policies, many skilled Sardinian farmers and shepherds were encouraged to move to regions like Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where they started new farms on the “continente” (as the Italian mainland was called). The Sardinian’s pastorizia traditions and their ability to recreate the complex natural habitat sheep need to produce milk of extraordinary quality revived the traditional methods of pecorino production. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Sardinians saved the pecorino tradition from extinction, infusing life blood into mainland sheep farming and production practices. Still today, the Sardinian methods of sheep herding and their deep understanding and appreciation of these docile animals yield some of the finest pecorino cheese made anywhere.

The making of pecorino requires a serious depth of knowledge and experience. First, rennet—or alternatively, a vegetable enzyme—is stirred into warmed sheep’s milk to start the coagulation and the formation of curds. During this initial stage, the excess of whey and lactose is pressed out. Then the cacio, as pecorino is called in Tuscany, is shaped into a cylindrical form and allowed to rest and season naturally in cool temperatures and very low light, with only a certain amount of humidity—maturing for a few weeks (pecorino fresco) or for six months to a year (pecorino stagionato). The taste of the cacio varies not only according to the quality of the sheep’s milk, but also according to the way it’s preserved and aged. In some cases, spices or herbs are added during the production process—for instance, for Sicilian Pecorino pepato black pepper is added; the celebrated Calabrese Pecorino al peperoncino combine chili peppers. Occasionally, the cheese forms are even filled with truffles, as in Pecorino al tartufo.

The methods used for preserving pecorino in Italy widely vary. Salt is the main method used—for instance in Pecorino Romano; but in Tuscany, Umbria and other regions, there is a great inventiveness in how pecorini (plural form) are preserved—for example, Pecorino rosso is rubbed with homemade tomato paste, giving a reddish color to the outside of the cheese. For Pecorino sotto cenere, the pecorino wheels are buried in oak ashes—sometimes collected from local pizzerias!—inside huge terracotta vases, which are stored in cool, shady places. Another method is to allow the cheese to mature on shelves built into natural caves—called “grotte” or “fosse”—that are formed in the soft, spongy-looking rock called tufa, common in Tuscany and Umbria. In mountainous regions, the cheese is aged in sheds made specifically for that purpose. Each of these methods for aging yields different textures, densities, and flavors.

Pienza is a beautiful little town in Tuscany where a great reverence for ancient local traditions is blended with transplanted Sardinian customs to produce pecorini of exceptional quality. For example, sometimes these pecorini are wrapped in walnut leaves, which lend an earthy, mushroom-like aroma; other varieties are wrapped in grape leaves and have an almost fruity smell and flavor. One of the most special (and expensive) varieties of all is the Pecorino di fossa, which is wrapped in straw and grass, and aged in caves or holes dug into the earth; versions of this are made throughout Tuscany, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna.

Probably the most successful pecorino abroad is the Pecorino Romano, D.O.P.—an acronym that signifies that the European Union has conferred their “protected designation of origin” label—certifying that this cheese is produced only in the regions of Lazio, Sardinia and Tuscany, and that it is made only from specific breeds of sheep, and that strict methods of production are followed. Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese and quite salty; unlike other varieties, in Italy it’s considered unsuitable as a formaggio da tavola (table cheese) and is basically used only for grating over pasta.

There are however, many other important varieties of pecorino in Italy, that are eaten in a great variety of ways: pecorini such as Fiore Sardo (DOP) from Sardinia; Pecorino di Norcia del Pastore from Umbria; Pecorino Toscano (DOP); and Canestrato Pugliese (DOP) from the large region of Puglia; Pecorino di Crotone (made from goat and sheep milk) from Calabria; Pecorino Siciliano and Pecorino ragusano, which are both made in Sicily and certified DOP—to name just a handful. Within these regional categories, there are legions of local specialties; in the Abruzzo region alone, there are many of the most delicious and sought-after local denominations, such as, Pecorino del Parco, Pecorino del Sannio, Pecorino di Atri, Pecorino di Farindola, Pecorino sott'olio which is preserved in olive oil of great quality.

For food lovers, Italian pecorino offers a rich and diverse world to discover—each region and locality offering a wealth of stories, traditions and flavors. Over the centuries, pecorino has maintained its authenticity, and in many instances, the quality has even improved. Today pecorino still plays a fundamental role in the Italian diet and culinary traditions— greatly impacting the economy of local communities and, in some cases, entire regions. In recent decades, this cheese has acquired worldwide recognition and success; pecorino is the oldest cousin of two international celebrities—parmigiano and grana, the two other favorite cheeses (which, however, are made with cow’s milk) to be grated over pasta and soups.  

Simplicity is the essence of pecorino. Italians usually eat it just as it is, accompanied simply with olives. It can also be served with preserved vegetables—such as artichokes or eggplant—or raw vegetables, like fava beans. Other common parings include various salumi, such as prosciutto, capocollo, salsicce (sausage) or local salame. Pecorino is often married with fruit, such as pears or homemade marmalades. Usually pecorino is not used with cream sauces or risotto—or other dishes associated with northern Italy where pecorino is not produced. Nowadays, high-quality imported Italian pecorino is readily available in the United States—paired with just a good glass of wine ... puoi toccare il cielo (you can touch the sky).

Here are a few suggestions for enjoying pecorino:

Pecorino fritto: Cut the pecorino (young but not too fresh) into 1/4-inch slices, dip them in beaten eggs, then in breadcrumbs, then once again in the eggs and finally in crumbled hazelnuts. Let them rest in the refrigerator for about one hour, then fry them in hot peanut or corn oil for a few minutes.

Insalata di pecorino e cipollotto (Pecorino and green or young onion salad): Wash the green or young onions well, then cut them in half and let them soak in water to soften their pungent taste. After an hour remove them from the water, dry them, and cut them in round slices. Cut a medium-aged pecorino into very thin slices and lay over the green onions. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and spolverate (“sprinkle” or “dust”) with freshly ground pepper.

Pecorino e pere (pears): Peel two pounds of pears and puree in a food processor. Pour into a pot and cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Garnish the hot pear reduction with pecorino into 1/4-inch slices in whatever way pleases you. Serve it at once with a few mint leaves.