Pecorino Crotonese is a semi-cooked, hard cheese made exclusively from whole sheep's milk, produced in certain municipalities of the provinces of Crotone, Catanzaro and Cosenza, in a historically and geographically homogeneous area in the Italian region of Calabria.

Production Area and Origin

The Pecorino Crotonese production area encompasses all stages of milk origin, cheesemaking, and ripening. This region is a geographically, historically, and culturally cohesive area, essentially overlapping the historical territory of the Marquisate of Crotone. The geography encompasses the mountainous belt between Crotone's Pliocene clay hills, Sila Piccola, and Sila Grande. This structure makes the Sila plateaus a natural summer pasture for herds situated on the hills between the Ionian Sea and the mountains. The region's climate is characterized by cold winters, hot summers, relatively limited thermal amplitudes, and an average relative humidity of 58%.

The region adopts a semi-brado livestock system; flocks graze freely and return to their pens in the evening. Sheep are primarily fed on the region's mossy, permanent pastures and unfermented forages grown locally. Aromatic compounds such as terpenes and sesquiterpenes, derived from plant families in the wild flora (such as the grasses, brassicas, apiaceae, and daisy family), play a role in the development of the cheese's characteristic properties. The use of whey rennet (siero innesto) and milk rennet (latto innesto) creates a microbiological link specific to the production area and contributes to the product's uniqueness.

Preparation Method

Pecorino Crotonese can be produced year-round. Whole sheep's milk used in production can be raw or thermized/pasteurized; however, additives and preservatives are not permitted. Goat's milk paste (caglio di pasta di capretto) is used as rennet. Coagulation occurs at 36-38°C for 40-50 minutes.

The curd is then broken until it is reduced to granules the size of a grain of rice. This breaking is done with a local tool, the miscu; this energetic breaking releases copious amounts of oil. After breaking, the curd is cooked at 42-44 degrees Celsius for 5-6 minutes and then allowed to settle to the bottom of the cauldron.

After the whey is drained, the mass is transferred to typical basket-shaped molds (canestro). Forms made from raw milk are pressed by hand or stacked, while those made from thermized/pasteurized milk are steamed (stufatura) for 120-240 minutes. These processes help remove excess whey and give the cheese its typical basket-shaped shape. Finally, the molds are cooked by briefly immersing them in whey at a temperature not exceeding 55°C (125°F), thus compacting the curd and forming the rind. Salting is done by dry or brine (water and sea salt) methods.

Maturation and Types

The maturation period varies depending on the desired variety. Maturing should be done in cool, well-ventilated areas or in specially prepared sandstone caves.

• Pecorino Crotonese Fresco (Fresh): The rind is white or slightly straw yellow. The taste is sharp, mild and slightly acidic, the pulp is soft and creamy, the color is milky white and there are rare pore.
• Pecorino Crotonese Semiduro (Semi-Hard): The ripening period is between 60 and 90 days. The rind is light brown and thick; the flavor is intense and harmonious; the semi-hard pulp is compact and has rare pore.
• Pecorino Crotonese Stagionato (Ripen): Ripening time exceeds 90 days. The rind is hard and brown, and may be coated with olive oil or olive residue (cappata/curata). The flavor is intense and sharp, with a slightly spicy aftertaste; the flesh is light straw yellow with rare pore

Sensory Properties and Physical Structure

Pecorino Crotonese has a cylindrical shape with flat or slightly convex surfaces and flat or slightly convex edges (scalzo). Basket (canestro) marks are prominent on the surface. The dough is compact and contains rare pore. Upon consumption, the palate feels slightly elastic and granular, but these granules dissolve after careful chewing. The presence of fat is evident, but it does not feel overly buttery. The moisture content in the edible portion of the cheese should not be less than 30%, the protein content should not be less than 25%, and the fat content in the dry matter should not be less than 40%.

Identification and Labeling

To verify the identity of Pecorino Crotonese DOP, every stage of the production process is monitored. Each cheese block carries a unique alphanumeric corporate code to ensure individual traceability. The product's conformity is inspected by the control organization Bioagricert srl. In addition to legal requirements, the cheese label must display the name "Pecorino Crotonese," the "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" or its abbreviation DOP, along with its unique logo. The logo is designed with the initials Crotone/Crotonese, an inverted "C," representing a sheep's head, enclosed in a circle, evoking a cheese block. A triangle in the lower right corner of the circle represents a freshly cut slice of cheese. The logo is used in a "bollino" (label/stamp) version, printed on the block by fire or with edible ink, and the cheesery's alphanumeric identification code must be included.