Pecorino Crotonese

HISTORY

In the historical region of the Crotonese Marquisate, crossed by the ancient Neto river, in a landscape of rolling hills gateway between Sila and the Ionian sea, is where the Pecorino Crotonese PDO is born, and takes his name and its unmistakable flavour from these planes. Already from Magna Grecia the city of Kroton was known for the conspicuous of the herding and sheep farming. Virgil in the Georgics sings of the beauty and uniqueness of the pastures on the banks of the Esaro river and of the herds sacred to Hera, which grazed on the promontory Lacinio. It is said that Hercules used taking his flock to these fields and that subsequently the Pecorino Crotonese represented more and more an excellent energy food for the soldiers garrisoned at the castle.

The dairy technique is really ancient. Behind the making of this cheese there are traditions that have remained the same for thousands of years. Shepherds who scrutinizing the stars to orient themselves during transhumance, left the icy and snowy areas of Sila to reach the more temperate ones of the Ionian coast. Fairs and festivals, of great importance to the population, where animals were sold and exchanged and the rewards of the fresh dairy products were made, to face a life that had a strongly rural connotation. After years and for centuries Pecorino Crotonese became an increasingly valuable food and was eaten by nobles, ecclesiastics landowners and local bureaucrats. Then the cheese began to be exported to Naples, and this says a lot about the goodness of this cheese. Exports that increased considerably during the Austrian Viceroyalty in 1700 and that attested to the fame of Pecorino Crotonese that started to be imitated far and wide.

PDO

The mark of protected designation of origin of Pecorino Crotonese is the seal of guarantee for a cheese that was produced in the areas of the Crotonese Marquisate for centuries and centuries. Its link with the territory lies in the name itself and its history is more important than what you think. The name of the city of Crotone was sufficient to indicate even outside Calabria what type of cheese it was, precisely this Pecorino. The recognition of the PDO certifies this historical and anthropological link with the territory and the dairy tradition of these areas, which produces a pecorino cheese unique among all pecorino cheeses and it is characterized by a slight sweetness of taste and aromas. A guarantee for all consumers. Qualities determined by the geographical environment, by nature in which sublime native species grow, by the climate and by its production and transformation, which takes place only here and nowhere else.

The Maturation

Crotonese Pecorino has been produced in the same way for millennia. The art and knowledge of those who have been making cheese since ancient times is fundamental in the maturing phase. We know how to cure pecorino cheese once it's shape has been formed. We know how to intervene. We know which surface molds contribute to determining the taste and which ones will be rejected. We carefully select the correctly processed forms from the defective ones. We are masters of time and we choose the exact moment to turn the wheels, brush them or wash them and cap them with olive oil. When you bring it to the table at the time of tasting, and as soon as a shape is cut, what you can smell and feel is a slight aroma of sheep's milk harmoniously linked with other aromas such as hay, ripe herbs from the fields, accompanied by a characteristic hint of hazelnut and smoke. Of the three seasonings, the one closest to tradition is the Seasoned, even if the Semi-Hard today represents the mildest combination of smells and aromas that leaves a superb taste not found in any other. pecorino.

Pecorino Crotonese Seasoned... with a hard brown crust, can be capped with oil or olive sludge. It has an intense and decisive taste, with a very light spicy aftertaste. The paste is slightly straw yellow in color and has rare eyes.
Pecorino Crotonese Semi-Hard ... has a slightly brown colored thick crust, an intense and harmonious taste and the Semi-Hard paste is compact with rare eyes.
Pecorino Crotonese Fresco… ... has a white or slightly straw colored thin crust with a strong, soft and pleasantly acidic taste. The typical marks of the basket are evident. The creamy milky white paste is tender, uniform and has rare eyes.

How to recognize it

Simple, firstly the logo. Without the Consortium logo, pecorino cheese is not authentic Pecorino Crotonese. It is essential that PDO denomination is present. Even the weights and sizes can be variables to be considered by skilful experts. But the first two parameters are fundamental and everyone who is a little attentive can confirm the authenticity of a Pecorino Crotonese cheese.

The LOGO
To buy an authentic Pecorino Crotonese you must pay attention to it's label, which must show that the Pecorino Crotonese is registered with the PDO acronym(protected designation of origin) or with the equivalent European PDO symbol coloured red and yellow. The logotype brings to mind Crotone using the harmonic lines of the letter 'C' and at the same time using the figure of a sheep's head.

The SHAPE
The surface marks of the basket mould is a characteristic of Pecorino Crotonese.

Dimensions and Weight
The dimensions vary according to the weight of the cheese. For a weight between 0.5kg to 5kg, the side height measures between 6 to 15 cm, the diameter of the faces from 10 to 20cm. For cheeses aged for more than six months ,the Wheel can reach a weight of 10 kg.

Production

Pecorino Crotonese is the product of a symbiosis between heaven and earth, between the inland mountain ranges and the sea on the horizon, a place where nature is always green turning to the colour of the sun in summer. The area of production includes the provinces of Crotone, Catanzaro and Cosenza. Made as it has always been made. To realize Pecorino Crotonese we use whole sheep's milk from our areas. The milk is pure and controlled. The cheese making techniques are the same ones handed down from the past, thanks to the use of family labour. The production was always done by hand and always remains the same to this day, from the initial processing to the rummaging phase, which is the manual pressing of the paste after shaping it into the baskets. In due course the cheese is left to acidify, for one or more days, and the maturing phase starts.

Nutritional Values

Pecorino Crotonese PDO is a food that is very beneficial to our body because it is rich in important nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and noble fats. In addition, the calcium present together with vitamin D helps to keep bones, nerves and muscles strong and healthy. It is also a useful metabolic regulator. In short it is good for the body, and good for everyone, for bodies that are growing and for those that have reached adulthood: one bite contains all the daily nutrients a person needs. It is a very good source of energy and in ancient times it was offered to the troops of soldiers garrisoned in a castle because of its nutritional qualities. If you have some digestive problems but are not lactose intolerant, you can enjoy Pecorino Crotonese PDO in all its goodness because of its easy digestibility. We recommend the Semi-Hard version or even better the seasoned because the longer and more accurate the seasoning, the easier the cheese will be to digest. So finally you know what to do and you won't have to give up anything.

Nutritional Values