Vastedda della valle del Belìce

Vastedda della valle del Belìce is a fresh, rindless, kneaded-curd cheese made exclusively from the raw whole milk of Valle del Belìce breed ewes reared within a defined area of Sicily's Belìce valley. It is among very few kneaded-curd cheeses produced from sheep's milk, and is consumed fresh in its characteristic round loaf form with slightly convex sides.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 26 November 2007 under file number PDO-IT-0661 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013806), Vastedda della valle del Belìce is produced from raw, whole sheep's milk with natural acidity from fermentation, sourced exclusively from Valle del Belìce breed flocks in the defined geographical area. That area comprises specified municipalities in the provinces of Agrigento, Trapani, and Palermo, including, in the province of Palermo, only the 'San Biagio' area of Bisacquino. All stages — rearing, milk production, processing, and packaging — must take place within this area. The finished cheese weighs between 500 and 700 g, measures between 15 and 17 cm in diameter and between 3 and 4 cm thick, and presents a smooth, matt white, rindless surface. The curd is evenly white with possible light striations resulting from the traditional kneading method. The fat content must be at least 35 % of dry matter and at least 18 % of the fresh product; sodium chloride content may not exceed 5 % of dry matter or 2.7 % of the fresh product. The cheese is packaged at the point of production in airtight polyethylene. Labels must carry the registered logo and the words 'Vastedda della valle del Belìce'; the logo must be 4 cm in diameter. The Consorzio di tutela della Vastedda della valle del Belice DOP is the applicant producer group.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 26 November 2007 under file number PDO-IT-0661, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013806.
• Vastedda della valle del Belìce is among very few kneaded-curd cheeses made from sheep's milk.
• The specification permits no breed other than Valle del Belìce ewes, and no milk other than raw, whole milk with natural acidity from fermentation.
• Supplementary feed may not exceed 50 % of total dry matter, and must be non-GMO; products of animal origin and trigonella, tapioca, and manioc are expressly excluded.

Tasting notes

Sicilian sheep's milk pasta filata cheese — uniquely the only sheep's milk pasta filata in Italy. Disk shape, bright white, soft elastic texture, fresh sweet-tangy sheep-milk flavor.

HoReCa use

Centerpiece of western Sicilian cheese boards; sliced fresh with EVOO and tomato; component of Sicilian antipasto.

Packaging

• disc-450-700g
• twin-pack-vacuum-500g

Seasonality