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Pecorino di Fossa
thanks to agriturismovaldappio for this image |
Once you have tasted Pecorino di Fossa you won't forget it. It has a sweet start, then a vibrant peppery flavour develops. This type of cheese, certainly the most precious (and most expensive) here in Italy, is made of sheep milk and it is matured in sealed caves. This ancient process, which originated in Roman times, is also a ritual with its rules and procedures. It is in August that Pecorino di Fossa is put in caves excavated in the tufa rock (volcanic in origin), after they are sterilised with fire and lined with hay. Once the cheese is in, the caves are sealed with lime and reopened during the last week of November.
This cheese matures in an oxygen-deprived environment. Therefore, taste and structure are modified by the good bacteria present in the cave and the hey surrounding the cheese. Pecorino di fossa is typical of central Italy. It is very nutritious and perfect to eat with chestnut honey to enhance its flavour.
