Pecorino Siciliano

Pecorino Siciliano is a hard, uncooked, matured cheese made from whole sheep's milk, produced across the entire territory of the autonomous region of Sicily. The curd is formed using lamb's rennet, poured uncooked into moulds that impart characteristic surface patterns, then salted and ripened for a period of not less than four months. It may be used as a table cheese or for grating.

About this designation

Pecorino Siciliano holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-IT-0019 with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013001, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996. The protected name as registered is Pecorino Siciliano. The geographical area of production is the entire territory of the autonomous region of Sicily. The specification defines the product as a hard, matured, uncooked cheese made from whole sheep's milk, cylindrical in shape with straight or slightly concave sides. The production method requires that the curd, obtained from whole milk with added lamb's rennet, be poured uncooked into suitable moulds; these moulds give the cheese its characteristic surface patterns. The cheese then undergoes salting, followed by ripening for a period of not less than four months. The specification notes that sheep in the production area are mainly allowed to graze freely on natural pastureland, and identifies the particular climatic and soil conditions of the southern Italian areas where sheep-farming takes place as relevant natural factors. The applicant group responsible for the designation is the Nuovo Consorzio di Tutela del Pecorino Siciliano DOP. The labelling requirement is a specific label giving the name of origin. The control body named in the source document is the Ministero dell'Agricoltura e delle Foreste — Ispettorato Centrale Repressione Frodi, Rome.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0019, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013001.
• The geographical area of production covers the entire territory of the autonomous region of Sicily; no production outside this area qualifies.
• The specification requires ripening for a period of not less than four months; shorter-matured stages do not carry the PDO designation.
• The curd must be poured uncooked into moulds that impart characteristic surface patterns, and lamb's rennet is specified as the coagulant.

Tasting notes

Sicilian sheep's milk cheese, aged 4+ months, traditionally with peppercorns embedded. Straw-yellow paste, firm crumbly, intense robust flavor with sheep-milk savor and pepper-spice accent; among Italy's oldest cheeses (mentioned by Homer).

HoReCa use

Pecorino Siciliano is used as a table cheese or for grating, including over pasta dishes; it also appears on cheese boards and is paired with accompaniments such as chocolate and marmalade.

Packaging

• wheel-full-4-12kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-2kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g
• grated-pre-pack-100g