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Pecorino is the Italian word for sheep's milk cheese.
As you can imagine the style varies greatly depending on terrain and feed for the sheep, cheese making techniques and aging. There are hundreds of pecorinos made in Italy and it is truly amazing how different they all are.
The most common Pecorino available in North America is Pecorino Romano. It is substantially saltier and much stronger than most of the other pecorinos we see. For me it lacks all the subtle fruity flavours that are the very reason I love sheep's milk cheese. For cooking a robust flavoured dish, where a strong flavour is needed Romano is great, but for a table cheese it isn't as appealing.
Pecorino Affienato however is amazing. The description in Italian sounds so romantic, you want to rush out and book a flight to Tuscany. Pecorino Stagionato sotto fieno e miele. It just sounds delicious even if you don't speak Italian. What that lovely phrase translates to is sheep's milk cheese aged in hay and honey. Sounds a tiny bit odd, and to be honest it is a little bit messy. Cheese wrapped in anything causes a bit of problem while cutting, but you can imagine a cheese with hay pressed into the outside is another matter altogether. I feel like there is a small garden left on our cutting board after having this one out of the showcase. The mess is worth the taste however and the grassy, floral taste of the cheese has a taste that stays with you for ages.
This pecorino is made on a commune in Tuscany just north of Firenze. Yes I said Commune. This farm was bought by a group of young friends in the early part of the 70's and they have run the farm as a cooperative ever since. The farm produces cheese, meat, produce, bread, and they even breed horses for trekking. They do everything on site from the care of the sheep and milking, the cheese making, the label design and packaging. The people who work on the farm also live on the property. There are the original group of friends as well as their families, and many other people who have joined them in their community vision. They train and employ many people with disabilities within the cooperative. Everyone in the commune eats together for lunch and dinner daily, in a huge dining room where everyone is welcome, guests included.
Il Forteto makes a wide variety of cheese, including some DOP designated pecorinos, but the Affienato is somehow still the most interesting. The unique earthiness from the hay and the sweetness of the honey that is mirrored in the delicate sweetness of the milk make it a great friend for your favourite bottle of Italian wine on the veranda this summer.
Allison Spurrell along with her mother Alice Spurrell are the proprietors of les amis du FROMAGE and the award winning cheese & wine bistro Au Petit Chavignol. She is a judge for the DFC Canadian Cheese Grand Prix and the PNE Artisan Cheese competition. She is also a member of the Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie du Saint-Uguzon and the American Cheese Society.
Les amis du FROMAGE w buycheese.com w Kitsilano 1752 W. 2nd Ave T 604-732-4218 w East Van 843 E. Hastings St T 604-253-4218
Au Petit Chavignol w aupetitchavignol.com w 843 E. Hastings St T 604-255-4218
Gismondi on Wine suggests the following wines to pair with Pecorino:
