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Cheese from Italy, Toscana

Pecorino di Pienza stagionato in barriques

Milk of semi-wild Sarda ewes is pasteurised, filtered and set at 30–34 °C with lactic ferments and calf rennet. The curd is broken to maize size, drained and soured in wooden moulds for 24 hours, then dry-salted with coarse salt. The wheels ripen at least 90 days, partly in old oak wine barriques, stacked in layers with walnut leaves, ash, wheat or grape pomace.

Fully documentedCheese3 monthsPAT (traditional agri-food product of Toscana)Family: Hard pressed ewe cheese family (Manchego and Pecorino Romano as templates)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo fixed amounts are recorded. Wheels weigh 900 g to 1.6 kg.
Whole ewe milk of Sarda ewes from evening and morning milkings, pasteurised[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Lactic ferments[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Calf rennet (liquid)[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Coarse salt[onaf-sheet]
Layering material chosen by the makerFor example walnut leaves, ash, wheat or grape pomace[onaf-sheet]
Starterlactic ferments added to the pasteurised milk

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 months

Start
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What changes: Sarda ewe milk is pasteurised and filtered into a multipurpose vat

Step 1 of 6
Pasteurise and filter the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Output: pasteurised whole ewe milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Milk of semi-wild Sarda ewes is pasteurised, filtered and set at 30–34 °C with lactic ferments and calf rennet. The curd is broken to maize size, drained and soured in wooden moulds for 24 hours, then dry-salted with coarse salt. The wheels ripen at least 90 days, partly in old oak wine barriques, stacked in layers with walnut leaves, ash, wheat or grape pomace. Made in 6 steps over 3 months. The longest step, ripen in oak barriques, takes at least 3 months (Regione Toscana (photo ARSIA)).

Key numbers
Main stepat least 3 monthsReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Ripen in oak barriques
Temperature30–34 °CReported[onaf-sheet]Add ferments and calf rennet

What makes this one different

The wheels finish their ripening in old oak wine barriques, stacked with walnut leaves, ash, wheat or grape pomace. Air seeps in through the staves, and the layering material tints the rind and flavours the cheese.

Rind
Thin, hard, smooth and moist; amber, white with violet tints in the regional sheet
Size
Cylinder 12–16 cm across and 5–12 cm high
Season
Made February to October

Related ferments

Safety

Made from pasteurised milk with added ferments and ripened at least 90 days.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Sardinian shepherds moved to Tuscany with their flocks and brought their cheesemaking skill. The Fiera del Cacio is held at Pienza on the first Sunday of September.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Toscana (photo ARSIA), PAT sheet 'Pecorino di Pienza stagionato in barriques'gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (national organisation of cheese tasters), technical sheet 'Pecorino di Pienza stagionato in barriques'web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page 'Pecorino di Pienza stagionato in barriques' (id 936)web