MATURE FOSSA PECORINO

This is a white compact cheese of a strong flavour. Made with a particular working process of the pasteurised sheep’s milk and left to mature for 3 months and then in a straw and herb lined hole in the ground for a further three months. The final three months permits the cheese to adopt the surrounding aromas of herbs and earth and the flavour of the previous maturation.

Working process
The cheese forms are wrapped in white cloth and set in tuff hole.
The hole is deep 3 meter and wide 2 meter, before being filled with straw and cane, important to avoid the contact of the cheeses with the walls' hole and to facilitate the dripping process of the whey, it is cleaned burning straw and brushwoods.
After having set the sacks full of cheeses in the hole, it is closed with wood covers.
Inside the hole the temperature is of 20°C and the humidity is around 80-90%.
At the beginning of August the holes are closed. The cheeses remain in these particular holes for 90 days.
According to the tradition the holes are opened the 25th of November, Santa Caterina day.

Ingredients: Pasteurizes sheep’s milk, curd, salt.
Preservatives: None
Colourings: None
Characteristics: Finely granulose paste, define flavour with sweet taste getting something more intense but always welcoming and pleasant.
Maturing Time: 6 months
Best Before: 120 days

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Open the vacuum-packet 4/5 hours before using the product. Serve as starter with salami, Parma ham, cured meats in general or with “Melata” honey or “Stachys” honey to exalt its flavour.
Note The product is vacuum-packed to assure a better quality and hygiene.