What is Sardinian pecorino?
Pecorino Sardo is an Italian cheese, typical of the Sardinia region.
Very similar to the Sardinian flower, with which it is often confused, this pecorino is produced exclusively with sheep's milk obtained from native species.
Sardinian pecorino is a mature cheese with a soft or hard texture (depending on the seasoning) and semi-cooked.
It is produced from sheep's milk using lamb or kid rennet, or alternatively veal and lactic ferments; it has a rich, decisive flavor, therefore it is used both as a table cheese (young Sardinian pecorino) and grated on first courses (mature Sardinian pecorino).
Unlike the Roman one (90% of which is still produced in Sardinia), Sardinian pecorino has a less salty taste and a less overpowering general flavor, which is why it also lends itself to accompanying more delicate foods and ingredients (e.g. pesto alla Genoese, fruit, etc.). It could be said that, in terms of flavor intensity, Sardinian pecorino constitutes a cross between grana cheeses (Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano) and pecorino romano.
From a nutritional point of view, it belongs to the II fundamental group of foods; therefore it represents a source of high biological value proteins, specific vitamins and minerals; it also provides considerable doses of animal fats and salt.
In 1991 the Sardinian pecorino gained the Designation of Origin and in 1996, the year in which the European Union certification system was introduced, it won the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
Today, the quality standard of Sardinian pecorino PDO is guaranteed by the special Protection Consortium.
