Pecorino

Pecorino is the Italian generic term for ewes’ milk cheese, which is made all over the country but especially in the center and south. The most celebrated varieties are the aged, hard Pecorino Romano and Pecorino Sardo. Fresh Pecorino — soft with a light sour taste — should be eaten within a day or two unless heavily salted. The firmer Pecorino da tavola, matured for a few months, has a strong, sharp flavor.

Pecorino Romano is probably Italy’s oldest cheese. Originally from Latium, it is matured for at least eight months, and has a tough rind – which may be dark gray or yellow according to treatment — and a dense, whitish-yellow interior with a sharp, dry flavor. Young, it makes a delicious dessert cheese; with age, it becomes very hard, a quality grating cheese. Pecorino Sardo, from Sardinia, is similar. (245)