Learning about Pecorino Toscano, a Very Delectable Italian Cheese
The tastes of Italy often spark many interests of food lovers because most of their foods and recipes are derived from very bold, rich flavors that are found in a natural way throughout the country. Pecorino Toscana happens to be one such food that is hard to stay away from once you have discovered the rich taste of this cheese. It is basically made from sheepís milk, say the Grupo Mayan experts, and was first produced in the Tuscany region.
The process for making this cheese is by using the milk of the sheep and pasteurizing it and then pressing it into curds to be able to remove all of the liquid and then the next process is to cook it to remove even more water. The curds are then soaked in brine that allows it to dry and age. Some of the dairy farms that produce this kind of cheese like to rub it with tomato paste to give it a hint of vegetable flavoring and others use olive oil to preserve the rind and try to prevent the growing of mold.
Naturally, say the Grupo Mayan pros, because this cheese is made from sheep milk, it is going to have a very high fat content. As with most things that are high in fat, they taste wonderful. The oil from the cheese is abundant but this is what gives off butterfat and makes the cheese have a good texture and better flavor.
In the aging process of Pecorino Toscano, say the Grupo Mayan experts, you will find 2 different kinds of cheese. The first being fresh Toscano, which is only aged for a couple of weeks and is best used on things such as grilled Panini sandwiches or thinly sliced and placed on top of a baked potato.
The other kind is aged Toscano which takes a fermenting process of about 6 months and the flavor of the aged Toscano is much more sharp and salty. Serving this cheese with fresh fruit as an appetizer is a wonderful way to enjoy this type of cheese as well as grating it over salads or pasta dinners.
There are also certain wines that go best with this cheese, say the Grupo Mayan experts, such as the Lungarotti or Ovieto white wine, when enjoying the fresh cheese and Brunello or Chianti Classico goes best with the aged cheese as well as most other true Tuscan red wines.
If you want to truly impress your guests at your next gourmet meal, try Pecorino Toscano and they will be talking about it for months afterwards.