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Pecorino Siciliano
Name of Group of Producers Inspection Body
Federazione Nazionale delle Cooperative agricole ed agro-alimentari
Via dei Gigli d'Oro, 21
00186 Roma

Consorzio Ricerca Filiera
Lattiero-Casearia

S.P. 25 Km. 5 - Ragusa Mare
I-97100 Ragusa
Tel: +39/0932660414
Fax: +39/0932660448
info@corfilac

Hard, matures, uncooked cheese made from whole sheep's milk, cylindrical in shape with straight or slightly concave sides, used as a table cheese or for grating.

Geographical area: the entire territory of the autonomous region of Sicily.

The cheese, of ancient origin like all the sheep's milk cheeses, is historically found in Sicily linked with local agricultural and sheep-farming systems, which, over time, have resulted in a specific and clear standard product. Because of the island's common tradition

of sheep-farming, the geographical name refers to the entire region.

The curd, obtained from whole milk with added lamb's rennet is poured uncooked into suitable moulds which give the cheese characteristic patterns and, then it undergoes salting followed by ripening for a period of not less than four months.

As for natural factors, the particular climatic and soil conditions characteristic of the areas in southern Italy where sheep-farming takes place should be borne in mind; there the sheep are mainly allowed to graze freely on natural pastureland.

As for the human factors, there is the socio-economic importance of traditional sheep-farming to avoid the land being abandoned and the impoverishment of the socalled marginal agricultural areas, particularly in a productive context, which do not provide valid

alternatives to the long-established agricultural and sheep-farming system.

 

Italian Cheeses PDO