By infopadweb 3 April 2024
PECORINO TOSCANO DOP
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DESCRIPTION, HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOP
Pecorino Toscano has its roots in the centuries. Pastoralism was, in fact, the prevalent activity of the Etruscans and Romans. Pliny the Elder spoke about this “cacio”, as it was initially (and still today in Tuscany) called, in his “Naturalis Historia”, in which he said that from a city of Etruscan origin, Luni (today’s Lunigiana), a fine cheese called “Lunense” arrived in Rome and was much appreciated for its goodness and the size of its shapes. In 1400, traces of Pecorino Toscano were found as “cacio marzolino”. According to historical sources, this cheese was welcome at noble banquets and even among Lorenzo the Magnificent’s favourites. In the fifteenth century, in a text by Platina, “Marzolino d’Etruria” and “Parmesan” were celebrated as the best cheese in Italy. Today, as yesterday, Pecorino Toscano characterizes the dairy tradition of its original territory, within which the milk is produced, transformed into cheese, and brought to the end of maturation. Its unique and delicate flavour tells an ancient story that reaches the present day in the name of quality and close bonds with the production territory. From the breeding of the sheep to their milking, passing through all the production stages, up to ageing, everything must take place, as established by the Production Regulations, in the area of origin, which includes the whole Tuscany, the Municipalities of Allerona and Castiglione del Lago in Umbria, and those of Acquapendente, Onano, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Grotte di Castro, Gradoli, Valentano, Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Montefiascone, Bolsena, and Capodimonte in Lazio. Each territory’s different climatic conditions and cheese-making traditions give Pecorino Toscano DOP different nuances of tastes and aromas.
Consortium
THE Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Toscano DOP
“Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Toscano DOP” was founded on 27th February 1985 by a group of producers whose strong wish was to pass on the tradition and strengthen the identity of this Tuscan excellence at a national and international level. In 1986, it obtained recognition of the Designation of Origin at the national level; in 1988, it received the supervisory role (DOC). Since 2nd July 1996, Pecorino Toscano has been a DOP product: DOP means “Protected Designation of Origin”, a recognition from the European Union to all those agri-food products whose qualitative characteristics depend, essentially or exclusively, on their production territory. To earn the DOP, the Consortium members must follow all the official Production Regulations: a list of all the places, production stages, characteristics, and conditions required for Pecorino Toscano to obtain and maintain the DOP mark. The Consortium certifies that only the pecorino that respects those rules is called, recognized, and marketed as Pecorino Toscano DOP to guarantee the consumer the excellence of a product whose uniqueness is certified by the Designation of Origin recognition.
https://www.pecorinotoscanodop.it/
info@pecorinotoscanodop.it
Tel. +39 0564 20038
Via Giordania, 227 – 58100 Grosseto
Recipe
FRIED TUSCAN PECORINO DOP SAGE PUFFS
| 4 people Preparation: 15′ + rest Cooking: 5′ |
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Ingredients:
– 200 g medium Pecorino Toscano DOP cheese
– 12 sage leaves
– 50 g flour 00
– 50 g potato starch
– 8 g yeast for savory pies
– 1 dl milk
– peanut oil
– salt
Remove the rind from Pecorino Toscano DOP and cut it into sticks 6 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick. Transfer them to the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove the center rib from the sage leaves, cutting two parts from each. Mix the flour with the starch, add a pinch of salt, sifted baking powder and stir. Pour in the milk at a trickle, stirring at the same time with a whisk. Brush one side of each pecorino stick with a layer of batter and adhere a half leaf of sage. Dip them, one at a time, into the batter and fry in plenty of hot peanut oil for 2 minutes. Drain on frying paper and serve.
Regions
PECORINO TOSCANO DOP
| Tuscany Lazio Umbria |
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