A cheese as old as Sardinia
In Sardinia, cheese is not an accompaniment. It is a protagonist—with a history as long as that of the island itself.
Pecorino Sardo is made from the milk of Sardinian sheep, following a process refined over millennia and remaining substantially unchanged over centuries. It is a hard or semi-hard, semi-cooked cheese, with Protected Designation of Origin since 1996.
Sardinian sheep's milk is not a local curiosity: it constitutes almost 60% of national sheep's milk production. From this extraordinary raw material comes a family of cheeses appreciated worldwide.
Its origins: from the Nuragic era to Roman tables
The history of Pecorino Sardo begins at the dawn of the Nuragic era, when sheep farming became the main means of sustenance on the island.
During the Roman period, extensive deforestation to make way for wheat fields created large grazing areas, further encouraging sheep farming. Sardinian cheese soon crossed the sea: it was found on the tables of Roman nobles, and during the period of the Judicates, various varieties were exported, including Sardesco, cheese from Arborea, and cheese from Torres.
Documents from the late eighteenth century already describe distinct Sardinian sheep's cheeses. The most interesting were the rossi fini and the affumicati—produced with raw milk heated by immersing red-hot stones in the sheep's milk. These are considered the direct ancestors of Pecorino Sardo.
In the nineteenth century, Sardinian cheese production reached industrial dimensions, with aging centers that exported to North and South America. An export vocation that continues today.
How Pecorino Sardo is made
Making Pecorino Sardo is not complicated. But it requires experience, respect for timings and temperatures—skills that are only refined with practice. And sheep that live in a semi-wild state, grazing on spontaneous herbs: a diet that makes the milk very flavorful and always different.
The traditional process:
- The milk is filtered and poured into the caddargiu—a large copper container—and brought to 35-39°C, stirring with sa moriga, a scoop made of heather or strawberry tree wood
- Rennet is added (su callu) to start coagulation; then it rests covered for twenty minutes
- The curd is broken, reduced to granules, and heated again up to a maximum of 43°C—the semi-cooked paste
- The paste goes into the giscos—perforated containers—and is hand-pressed to release the whey (su suru)
- After 6-7 hours, salting; then washing, drying, and aging on wooden boards, periodically greased with olive oil
- The remaining whey becomes ricotta: heated to 90°C with added milk and salt, it rises to the surface and is collected with a skimmer
The two PDO versions: mild and mature
Mild Pecorino—short aging (20-60 days), white and soft paste, delicate flavor with lactic notes. Excellent on its own, with honey or jams.
Mature Pecorino—longer aging (2-4 months and beyond), hard paste, darker color, intense and slightly pungent flavor. Used both at the table and grated over pasta dishes.
Pecorino Sardo, Romano, and Fiore Sardo: the differences
Pecorino Romano—97% of which is produced in Sardinia, despite the name—has a longer aging period (5-8 months), is saltier, and is mainly used grated. Pecorino Sardo is less salty, more versatile, halfway between Romano and Parmigiano.
Fiore Sardo is the cheese of shepherds par excellence: made with raw milk, raw paste (not semi-cooked), with a characteristic smoking. More rustic and more closely tied to the tradition of the sheepfold—impossible to industrialize without losing its essence.
In the kitchen and at the table
Pecorino Sardo is omnipresent in Sardinian cuisine. It is served on appetizer platters, accompanied by carasau, civraxiu, and cured meats. Grated, it complements malloreddus, Sardinian ravioli, and seadas. Fresh, it goes into the filling of ravioli along with—or as an alternative to—ricotta.
A generous cheese that adapts to everything without overpowering. And that carries with it the flavor of a specific land.
Wine pairing: what to choose
Pecorino Sardo calls for wine. The question is which one.
With mild Pecorino—fresh, soft, delicate—our Vermentino di Villasimius is the most natural pairing: the freshness and minerality of the white wine balance the richness of the cheese without overwhelming it.
With mature Pecorino—intense, slightly pungent, complex—Cannonau comes into play: enough body to stand up to the cheese, enough elegance not to overshadow it.
A cutting board, a bottle, good company. In Sardinia, nothing else is needed.
Salude e trigu.
