CONSORZIO TUTELA PECORINO TOSCANO DOP Viale Goffredo Mameli, 17

58100 Grosseto • Italyinfo@pecorinotoscanodop.it

Online Gourmet E- tailers:

DiPaloSelects.com

Igourmet.com

Interested members of the trade, please contact:

Atalanta Corporation - www.atalanta1.com

D.Coluccio & Sons Inc. - dcoluccioandsons.com

Forever Cheese - forevercheese.com

Musco Food Corporation - muscofood.com

Pecorino Toscano DOP is a young 100% sheep’s milkcheese. It is approximately forty days old when it arrives inthe United States. Because it is a young cheese, its flavor isdiscreet – like a small child at times is shy. Upon first tastingthe cheese, one will perceive a hint of sweetness that mingleswith Tuscan herbs, grass and wildflowers. The texture is silkyamazing and the aftertaste on the palate is wonderfullycomplex but easy to enjoy.

Pecorino Toscano Stagionato DOP is aged for anadditional three to four months in Italy. Pecorino ToscanoStagionato DOP is created from locally collected sheep’s milkduring September and June. As it ages, the cheese loses itsmilky white color and takes on a beautiful hay and ivorycolor. The sweet, silky texture of the original cheese slowlygives way to a sharp, zesty flavor with a brittle texture.

Pecorino Toscano Oro Antico Riserva DOP ishandmade by taking a select young, delicious, authenticPecorino Toscano, burnishing it with olive oil, and aging it ina stone cellar for six months. During aging, more olive oil isapplied to the rind as the cheese gets harder and tangier.Finally, each cheese is given a seal of red wax to indicate itsspecial heritage. Oro Antico Riserva has a grainy texture dueto the aging process, whereby most traces of moisture escapefrom within the cheese. Made from 100% ewe’s milk, theflavor is delivered to the back of the tongue with delicateforce, imparting overtures of wild herbs and lemongrass.Because sheep’s milk contains a very high percentage ofbutterfat, Pecorinos are very flavorful but have a tendency to“cry” when they reach room temperature.

Tracing the history of PECORINO TOSCANOFROM THE ETRUSCANS TO THE MIDDLE AGES For the Etruscans this area was really the “Madre Terra” orMother Land. From the coastal pine covered plains, rich withabundant fruit and game, which opened towards rich pasturesjust perfect for the development of agriculture and the grazingof domestic animals. Even further inland the fertile hills coveredwith olive groves are lined with the famous cypress trees still synonymous today with the Tuscancountryside. In this fertile land, they also found abundant fish from the sea, its rivers, its lakes as well as a richness ofminerals. The Etruscans were masters at working iron and this land offered them the opportunity todevelope this art. The natural mineral springs that erupt from the earth add to the plenty and fascinationof this land. The Etruscans grazed their sheep on the same ample pastures where today one can see sheep grazing,often near an ancient relic of centuries past. The modern cheese plants of today have replaced therudimentary cheese making of other times. The Etruscans used vegetable rennet and produced very largewheels which would feed a family for a long time. Today animal rennet is used and of course the wheelsare smaller. Much has remained the same. The pride and tradition of both shepherds and cheese makershas never waivered. The sweet Tuscan milk from the sheep grazing on the rich pastures that sweep fromthe Appenine Hills down to the sea continue to give us this very special and delicate Pecorino Toscano.

THE MIDDLE AGES During the Middle Ages the breeding of sheep represented an importanteconomic activity and was developed throughout all of the territory, despitebeing less extensive than the pig breeding. Particularly in the area of Tuscany,the breeding of sheep continued to grow in importance over time.

Historical Note: The year 1200 gave us a legendary episode: a young boy,tending a flock of sheep in the Mugello area was drawing on a stone in thepasture. It happened that the painter Cimabue (known as the “Father of theRenaissance”) was passing by and observed this young boy drawing. He

understood immediately the artistic genius of the boy and persuaded him to return with him to his atelierin Florence. The young shepherd boy, by the name of Giotto, went on to become one of the mostrenowned painters of all times!

THE RENAISSANCE The most ancient documents mention the Pecorino as Cacio Marzolino. The historian Bartolomeo Platinain his famous treatise penned in the year 1475 declares the Marzolino d’Etruria the best cheese in Italywhile comparing it to Parmigiano Reggiano. Pope Pius II (of the famous Piccolomini family) whiletravelling in the area of the Val d’Orcia was so struck by the quality and taste of the cheese that heincluded the incident in the story of his life in 1463. It was during this period that the breeding of sheepreached its peak in Tuscany, for several reasons: the production of wool, the meat of the lambs whichwas prized, and the production of cheese which was dependent mostly on the shepherds who used it aspayment to land owners. A part would go towards family consumption and the rest to be sold in thelocal villages. During the ensuing years the production of the cheese did not actually follow any specificnorm or rules. For many years, the cheese making was the responsibility of one person in a family. Thiswas an effort to ensure and maintain a certain continuity in the quality.In the late 18th century, official documents of the City of Florence show where the author FrancescoMolinelli declares that the “Caci” of Tuscany, both fresh and aged, will never cede their position of beingthe best, and goes on to cite various examples from all over the Region of Tuscany. He goes on in detailwith regard to the Marzolino, the manner of curing and keeping the cheese, the particulars of the sheepbreeding, and makes mention in his famous document of the talent of the young ladies who at the timewere the experts in producing these cheeses noting this expertise of theirs represented a very rare andspecial “dowry”!

LOOK FOR THE DOP & FIND AUTHENTIC ITALIAN QUALITY PRODUCTS !Throughout the world, Italian food enjoys a reputation of high quality thanks toits centuries-old traditions and dedication to quality and excellence. Thispatrimony is certified by the European Union through the DOP seal. DOP, inEnglish PDO, stands for Protected Designation of Origin and is awardedto products of excellence that express a close tie to the territory of origin. The

PDO recognizes agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed andprepared in a given geographical area recognizing production methods.

One of the ways to distinguish the authenticity of an Italian product is to always checkwhether the label displays the red DOP/PDO symbol; the DOP/PDO symbol helps onedistinguish an original product from the Italian sounding imitations that abound!