Sibillini Pecorino Cheese: What It Is, How It Is Made and Where to Buy It
Pecorino dei Monti Sibillini, the Sibillini pecorino cheese, is a sheep's milk cheese made in the Sibillini Mountains area, between the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata. Like the national park, it takes its name from Monte Sibilla, which rises to 2,173 meters. In fact there are two Sibillini pecorinos: a fresh one, made year-round from pasteurized milk by industrial dairies, and one made from raw milk, semi-cooked and naturally aged, which is supported by a Slow Food Presidium.
When aged for a long time, the traditional version has a golden, ochre or hazel rind and a deep yellow paste that is compact and slightly fatty, with a granular, flaky texture. The aroma is powerful, often of mushroom and truffle, and the flavor is bold, sharp and very long-lasting. It is eaten on its own, with honey or on a cheese board, and it is bought directly from producers in the area.
Sibillini Pecorino Cheese: Origin and Characteristics
Pecorino dei Monti Sibillini is made from sheep's milk. In the Slow Food Presidium version the milk is raw, the producers are three young shepherds and the aging is natural. The Presidium's production rules set three key points: the milk must come from the producer's own farm, raw-milk cheesemaking must be entirely by hand, and aging must take place in natural environments.
Traditional cheesemaking follows these steps. Freshly drawn milk is brought to about 37 °C in a copper cauldron and natural rennet is added. After about half an hour the curd is broken, the temperature rises to about 45-48 °C and the curd is placed in molds. In the first phase of aging the wheels are often washed with warm whey. Then they go into cool cellars, where they can mature for up to two years. Aging requires a cool, humid environment, and every two or three days the wheels are turned over to help the rind form.
The wheel is cylindrical, 4-9 cm high, with a diameter of 14-20 cm and a weight of 0.8-2.5 kg. The fresh cheese has a soft, straw-colored rind and a white, compact paste with few holes. The aged cheese has a hard, yellow rind rubbed with oil and a straw-yellow paste.
The cheese can be eaten after about 60 days, but the best result comes from letting it age for a few months. Optimal aging is reached after 100-120 days. Natural pecorino is made from spring, after the lambs are weaned, until October.
The History of Pecorino dei Monti Sibillini
The history of the Sibillini is above all the history of transhumance, the seasonal moving of flocks, and these mountains still bear the marks of an important pastoral civilization. According to archaeological studies, the area was first settled by a civilization of shepherds. The mountains and the surrounding area were used for the transhumance of the Sopravissana sheep, a breed suited to this environment. The page on the Sopravissana sheep describes the breed in more detail.
According to the Slow Food Presidium, this pecorino has remained the same over the centuries and is still made by hand, with raw milk from the producer's own farm. The Park is also home to the Appenninica sheep, a sturdy, rustic crossbreed derived from the Sopravissana stock. Only a few shepherds still raise the Sopravissana to make the cheese entirely by hand.
Rennet is part of the tradition. Cheesemaking was entrusted exclusively to women, especially the rennet, which was flavored with aromatic herbs such as wild thyme, marjoram and basil. The rennet was made by chopping a lamb's stomach, left to dry full of curdled milk, and mixing it with salt, a little milk and local herbs. Every woman had her own recipe. Flavoring the milk with a bunch of wild thyme before curdling is a very old practice that has almost disappeared.
The name of the mountain recalls a legend. According to the myth, the Sibyl was the queen of an underground paradise that could only be reached through a secret cave on the mountain.
How to Enjoy Sibillini Pecorino Cheese
Sibillini pecorino is enjoyed mostly on its own, or with sweet accompaniments. It can be served as an appetizer or at the end of a meal, with rustic homemade bread and acacia honey. It pairs with honey, both wildflower and acacia, and with pear jam. It is also served alone or on mixed boards. Suggested pairings include red wines and spicy green tomato mostarda.
Pecorino is also part of everyday cooking. It can enrich pasta dishes, salads and meat main courses. In Norcia, grated cheese is always on the table at lunch with pasta: it may be Parmigiano or local pecorino. At dinner, the cheese sometimes accompanies the main course and is served in slices. Local dishes with pecorino include gricia, pasta with guanciale and pecorino, whose name refers to Grisciano, a few kilometers from Norcia. In fresh fava bean season, in the Marche area, pecorino is the cheese served with them.
Well-aged cheese has a powerful aroma, so it is used in small amounts. Other cheeses and mountain products are covered on the page about Sibillini local food products.
Where to Buy Pecorino dei Monti Sibillini
The most direct way to buy it is from the small producers and dairies of the area. Lists of recommended producers include farms in Fiastra, Pieve Torina, Visso, San Ginesio and Montemonaco, in the Marche, and in Norcia, in Umbria. Some of them also select and age Sibillini pecorinos, ricotta and goat cheeses. Opening hours and sales arrangements are best requested from the individual producers.
In Norcia and the Valnerina several farms make pecorino and age it in their cellars. In town, some norcinerie (traditional pork butcher shops) and small grocery stores also sell local products. Pecorino is sold cut to order or as small and medium wheels.
Natural pecorino is made from spring to October, so it is worth asking in advance about availability and aging. Anyone looking for the traditional version can ask whether the cheese is made from raw milk and naturally aged.