Pecorino
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox cheese
Pecorino is an Italian hard cheese produced from sheep's milk. The name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} derives from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which means 'sheep' in Italian.<ref>pecorino, n. OED Online. December 2013. Oxford University Press. Accessed 7 January 2014.</ref>
OverviewEdit
Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have protected designation of origin (PDO) status under European Union law, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is probably the best known outside Italy, especially in the United States, which has been an important export market for the cheese since the 19th century.<ref>Export statistics Template:Webarchive from the producers’ consortium</ref> Most {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is produced on the island of Sardinia, though its production zone also includes Lazio and the Tuscan provinces of Grosseto and Siena. Ancient Roman authors wrote about this cheese and its production technique.<ref>Italian Pecorino and Ancient Roman</ref>
The other five mature PDO cheeses are the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} from Sardinia (casu berbeghinu in Sardinian language); {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, whose production was already attested by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History;<ref>Pecorino Toscano Consortium for the Protection of Tuscan Pecorino (in Italian)</ref>Template:Bsn {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (or picurinu sicilianu in Sicilian) from Sicily; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} from Basilicata;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and pecorino crotonese from province of Crotone, in Calabria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another well-known pecorino is the one that was produced in Abruzzo, the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
All come in a variety of styles depending on how long they have been aged. The more matured cheeses, referred to as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Literally), are harder but still crumbly in texture and have decidedly buttery and nutty flavours. The other two types, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, have a softer texture and milder cream and milk tastes.
TraditionEdit
A variant from southern Italy is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Literally), to which black peppercorns are added. Today many other additions are made, for example walnuts, rocket, or tiny pieces of white or black truffle.
In Sardinia, the larvae of the cheese fly are intentionally introduced into {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} to produce a local delicacy called casu martzu, which means 'rotten cheese'. As it is illegal, casu marzu is primarily sold through the black market.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Meals may be finished with a good {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, served with pears and walnuts or drizzled with strong chestnut honey. Pecorino is also often used to finish pasta dishes, and used to be the natural choice for most Italian regions from Umbria down to Sicily, rather than the more expensive Parmesan. It is still preferred today for the pasta dishes of Rome and Lazio, for example pasta dressed with {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
See alsoEdit
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- List of Italian cheeses
- List of Italian DOP cheeses – food with protected designation of origin status
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