Pecorino Crotonese

Pecorino Crotonese is a hard, semi-cooked cheese produced exclusively from whole sheep's milk within a defined area of Calabria centred on the Province of Crotone. It is released in three varieties — fresh, semi-hard, and ripened — and may also be marketed grated. Kid rennet paste and rock salt are the only permitted non-milk ingredients.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-1111, with EU protection dating from 13 May 2013 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014301, Pecorino Crotonese is produced exclusively from whole sheep's milk sourced from flocks reared within the defined geographical area. The specification requires that livestock rearing, milk production, cheesemaking, and ripening all take place within that area. The milk may be used raw or subjected to heat treatment; the use of additives and preservatives is not permitted. Permitted raw materials are whole raw sheep's milk (thermised or pasteurised), kid rennet paste, and rock salt. Feed supplements from outside the geographical area are permitted but may not exceed 40 % of the total over the course of the year. Fat in dry matter must be at least 40 %; protein content must be at least 25 % (g/100 g edible part); moisture content must be at least 30 %. The cheese is cylindrical with flat or slightly convex sides and a straight or slightly convex heel, and bears visible basket marks. Non-cylindrical form is permitted only for pre-packaged sliced, cubed, or grated product, and such pieces must weigh between 1 kg and 3 kg. Each cheese wheel must display an alphanumerical identification code for the producing dairy. The protection association is the Consorzio di tutela della DOP Pecorino Crotonese, based in Crotone.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 13 May 2013 under file number PDO-IT-1111 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014301).
• The specification permits no additives or preservatives; the only non-milk ingredients are kid rennet paste and rock salt.
• Feed supplements from outside the geographical area may not exceed 40 % of the total ration over the course of the year.
• Non-cylindrical form is permitted only for pre-packaged product and only when pieces weigh between 1 kg and 3 kg.

Tasting notes

Calabrian sheep's milk cheese from Crotone area in three aging styles (fresh, semi-aged, aged). Pale ivory paste evolving to amber, firm yielding to crumbly texture, sheep-milk savor with grassy Calabrian-flora notes and peppery edge in aged.

HoReCa use

Pecorino Crotonese is used as a table cheese, either fresh, semi-hard, or ripened, or in grated form.

Packaging

• wheel-full-2-5kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g