Pecorino Cheese

Pecorino cheeses for sale in a street market. Lara Belova / Getty Images Signature via Canva Pro.

Pecorino is the name given to all Italian cheeses made from sheep’s milk.

The rinds have a herringbone pattern which used to be caused by the cheese being moulded in presses made of strands of grass. Now, even though grass presses are no longer used, because the marks are expected, they are deliberately impressed by plastic moulds (just as they are for Spanish Manchego cheese.)

Pecorino cheeses distinguished by aging

Pecorino cheeses can be sold either young or old. The old ones are sometimes referred to as “ripened” (“stagionato“). They are generally aged for at least four months, during which time they develop a strong, defined flavour, a brittle, hard texture and a thick yellowish or brownish rind.

The younger versions may be matured for only 20 days. They are softer, and have a milder taste. They are sometimes referred to as “sweet.” These younger versions melt and slice well, but don’t grate well.

Both aged and young versions will have a salty tang to them.

Cooking Tips

Aged pecorinos can be easily shaved or finely grated.

Language Notes

“Pecora” in Italian means “sheep”. “Pecorino” is an adjective derived from that word, meaning “pertaining to sheep”.

Assorted raw milk pecorino cheeses. Marco Varisco / flickr / 2008 / CC BY-SA 2.0

Types of pecorino

The four main types of pecorino cheese are grouped geographically by where they are traditionally made:

• Pecorino Romano is the name given to cheeses from the Rome area. They are well-aged and sharp;
• Pecorino Toscano is from Tuscany, milder and creamy when young, stronger and drier when aged;
• Pecorino Sardo is from Sardinia;
• Pecorino Siciliano is from Sicily.

Pecorino Ginepro Cheese

Pecorino Ginepro is a specialty pecorino cheese lightly flavoured with juniper berries. It is aromatic, and is eaten in small amounts as part of an appetizer platter, shavings on top of dishes, etc.

Pecorino Pepato Cheese

Pecorino Pepato is a sheep's milk cheese which has crushed black peppercorns stirred in. The cheese mellows the flavour of the peppercorns, making them less overwhelming.

Pecorino Romano Cheese

Pecorino Romano is a creamy-white cheese made from sheep's milk. It's often just called "Romano". The aged version seems a bit like Parmesan, but grates more finely and has a sharper, saltier taste.

Pecorino Sardo Cheese

Pecorino Sardo is a sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, Italy. The taste is a balance of salt and sweet, and is more sheep's-milk-tasting than other Pecorino cheeses.

Pecorino Siciliano Cheese

Pecorino Siciliano cheese is made from sheep's milk. The raw milk is curdled with lamb's rennet, moulded and salted. The cheese may be sold fresh, or aged.

Pecorino Toscano Cheese

Pecorino Toscano cheese is a mild-tasting sheep's milk cheese Italy. Young cheeses can be used as a table cheese; old ones can be used for grating.