Pecorino Crotonese Sheep’s Milk Cheese from Italy

Pecorino Crotonese Cheese

I picked up some Pecorino Crotonese at Whole Foods in Oakville, Ontario. I’ve been trying a number of different Sheep’s milk cheeses lately, so I figured it was time to grab some Italian Pecorino. I did not realize there were different styles within the Pecorino family.

I found this informative YouTube video which describes several Pecorino’s, including the Pecorino Crotonese.

“Pecora” is the Italian word for sheep. Pecorino Crotonese comes from the village of Crotone in Southern Italy.

Croton, Italy - image from Google Maps

The cross hatch marks on the rind are the result of aging the cheese in a wicker basket.

What does Pecorino Crotonese taste like?

This cheese has an earthy, nutty flavor with a slight fruity finish. This one ranks above average.

Again my cheese adventure has me discovering new cheeses and new places. Crotone, Italy is a small seaside village on the Mediterranean with an interesting history.

I found myself exploring the village virtually while enjoying the Pecorino Crotonese cheese. Here is a YouTube video showcasing Crotone.

Ovinsardo is Over the Top Delicious

I picked up this cheese at the Gouda for You specialty cheese shop in Barrie, Ontario. The owner, Deb Marrow, told me that this was one of her favorites.

Ovinsardo is a blue cheese that is made from sheep’s milk. It is pale white with blue and green veining. It is produced in Sardinia.

Where is Sardinia?

No it is not a Province of Canada. Sardinia is an Italian island in the Mediterranean. In fact, it is the second largest of all Mediterranean islands. Supposedly, there are more sheep than people on the island which may explain why they are making blue cheese from sheep’s milk.

Sardina, Italy - image from Wikipedia

I attempted my usual internet research to learn as much as possible about this cheese, but Ovinsard (or Ovinsardo, or Ovin Sard) all came up with very scant information. When I Googled it, most of the references came from it being featured on cheese flights, or cheese boards, from several swanky restaurants. It also popped up in a few recipes, again from swanky restaurants.

I came across a reference to Ovinsardo by Kang Leong who writes the London Eater Blog. Buried in his restaurant review is his reaction to the Ovinsardo.

“That cheese, oh that cheese. Ovinsardo. What a brilliant little f*cker. The gorgeous stink of stilton, the strength of ten gorgonzolas, the hardness of a well-aged parmesan. On its own, the beef was bland but tender (which is why I assumed it was a fillet) , but with that superb Sardinian cheese, it became ethereal.” – Kang Leong

I agree with him with the exception of the “hardness of Parmesian”. The piece that I tried was semi-firm but not hard. Perhaps his was affected by the preparation.

I have to admit that this one took me by surprise. Sheep’s milk blue? I squinted my eyes and prepared myself for a suffering as I placed a small sample in my mouth. But OMG (that’s Oh My God for you non-texters) this one delivered and how. It’s creamy, milky and it packs a wallop of a blue cheese flavor. I loved it.

Thank you to the Sardinian sheep milkers and cheese makers, whoever you are.