Yea, like a rose among thorns does this Pecorino stand among it's rough, age-ed siblings.
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the hard grating-cheese Pecorino Romano, this entry is one of the few sheep's milk cheeses to capture both a semi-firm texture and the full essence of the sheep's milk without compromising on either. Pecorino Fresco, or Pecorino "Daisy" depending on the brand, is an ideal snacking cheese that both tastes better and sounds more pretentious than a block of generic mild cheddar. What's not to love?
Milk: Sheep, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 30-45 days.
Notes: Looking for a romantic gift for that special someone? Carefully arrange some Pecorino "Daisy" and Fleur du Maquis (Flower of the Maquis) cheese in a circle on a plate and place a bottle of nice rosé in the center. Call it a bouquet.
Thoughts: Although this cheese is the embodiment of mild, it does not fall into the tasteless trap of so many other such products. Pecorino Fresco is nuttier than most sheep cheeses and, given its youth, is markedly milkier as well. Adding to the light, sweet flavor is the absence of that characteristic sheep's milk oiliness, but still the grassy tang comes through strong enough that you know you're eating a sheep's milk cheese. The aftertaste has hints of fruit to it but is mostly neutral-sweet. This cheese cuts nicely and it's springy, semi-firm paste just melts on the tongue, releasing a creamy and flavorful delight that could fit on a snack cracker or a carefully prepared cheese platter.
Caution
In light of my realization about how awesome an idea it is, I am hereby copyrighting, through the Law of the Internet, the idea of a cheese/wine bouquet. Don't try and rob me, I know your tricks. 
Wow. This sounds like it would delicious and easy to find! I've never had sheep's cheese, but I'm eager to try this one.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so it was first of all kind of hard to make it clear what kind of Pecorino I wanted. Fresco meant absolutely nothing to the woman it seemed, and I didn't think Daisy would be any more helpful. She gave me a young Pecorino though because it was all I could remember about the cheese. Definitely have good impressions of this cheese. It was so mild, but so flavorful. I think it was really good by itself, and I felt like everything but the tiniest bit of strawberry was enough to wipe out the flavor and only leave the rich, soft taste behind. I thought it was a nice texture though and liked the richness. My strawberries might not have been really sweet enough when I first bought them, but after leaving them in a warm backpack for 10 hours, they blended a lot better with the cheese. I will definitely be eating this one again sometime, but if I serve it at a party I will have to clarify that it has to be eaten first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your write up - but please understand that "pecorino" is derived from "pecora" which means means sheep/ewe in Italian so this is a sheep's milk cheese, not cow.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, well that is an embarrassing oversight even for an early post. Thanks for catching it, and please believe I know my vacca from my pecora, Schaf from Ziegen, and so forth.
DeleteHumbly yours, TFCA