60. Sacrofanum Pecorino from Sacrofano
History
The production of this cheese is strongly linked to the production of milk according to the season. In the first half of the 20th century, sheep's milk was available from September to June, the month in which the transhumance of the Sacrofano flocks to the greener pastures of the Ascoli Piceno mountains began. In September they returned and in November the sheep gave birth to lambs.
At the same time, the opposite phenomenon also occurred: shepherds from Monte Vettore, Ussita and Terminillo would move to the Sacrofano pastures in the autumn, especially to the 'Merlano' area north of Sacrofano.
This cheese was made from sheep's milk and kid rennet, and since before the 1950s had been part of the staple diet of Sacrofano's farming families.
The product
Pecorino Scrofanum is a sheep's milk cheese with a characteristic cylindrical canestrato shape. The thin, rough, light hazelnut-coloured rind encloses a soft, unctuous, straw-coloured paste. On the nose, lactic notes stand out, accompanied by hints of wild flowers, fresh grass and hazelnut. The taste is moderately salty, slightly sweet and acidic with a slight bitter and spicy note. Good solubility and medium aromatic persistence.
