🧀 Pecorino di Filiano

Pecorino di Filiano is a hard, semi-cooked Italian cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), made from raw whole sheep's milk. The milk, the cheesemaking and the ripening all take place in 30 municipalities of the province of Potenza, in Basilicata.

How it is made. According to the specification, the milk comes from Gentile di Puglia, Gentile di Lucania, Leccese, Comisana and Sarda sheep and their crosses. It is heated to at most 40 °C and coagulated with rennet from the stomachs of kids and lambs. The curd is broken into rice-grain pieces, placed in rush containers, lightly pressed by hand, kept for 15 minutes in whey at up to 90 °C, then dry-salted or put in brine.

Ripening. At least 180 days in natural tufa caves or other underground places at 12–14 °C. From day 20 the rind may be treated with extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar.

Look and taste. A cylinder with straight sides, 2.5–5 kg, 15–30 cm across, with a heel 8–18 cm high. The rind carries golden-yellow basket marks, darker brown on older cheeses. The paste is white to straw-coloured, compact, with tiny irregular eyes; fat is at least 30% of the dry matter. The taste is mild and delicate at first and becomes slightly pungent and stronger with age.

Labelling. The cheese is identified by an oval mark with the letter F, a star, the words PECORINO di FILIANO and "denominazione di origine protetta" or D.O.P. It may be sold in halves or quarters of the certified whole cheese.

The name is registered in the EU as a PDO by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1485/2007.