Pecorino dei Berici cheese

Pecorino dei Berici cheese

Pecorino dei Berici is a ewes' milk cheese from the municipalities of Mossano and Montegalda in the province of Vicenza in Italy. It is soft and rubbery, pale yellow, with no fissures and a thin rind. The cheese has a cylindrical form and is 6-7 cm in height and 14-18 cm in diameter, with a weight between 250g and 2 kg. It has a delicate, mild flavour which becomes stronger according to length of maturing. Pecorino from the lower regions of Vicenza tends to have a milder flavour compared to the variety made in the alpine regions.

In his book L'allevamento ovi-caprino nel Veneto (sheep and goat farming in Veneto), E. Pastore (1999) states: “since the early 19th century in Veneto, different breeds or indigenous populations have been farmed, with well-defined morphological and genetic characteristics which even enabled the identification of different production areas. Once the lambs had been weaned, the ewes were milked for about 4 months, producing 150-200 litres of milk. The milk was used for private consumption or for making cheese which, because of high demand in Veneto, was sold to the small retailers in the area.

Whole sheep’s milk is heated in a calièra (vat) to a temperature of 30-35°C (the lower the temperature, the softer the cheese), after which cajo (rennet) is added. When the milk coagulates (after about 12 minutes), the curds are broken, first coarsely and then into desired size. The calièra is then put back on the heat and the liquid is heated at 33°C for 5-6 minutes so that the curds, stirred with a mèscolo or rissòla, combine together. The calièra is then taken off the heat and allowed to stand for 10 minutes, in order for the curds to form a compact mass. The cooked cajà (curds) are then extracted and poured into fassàre (moulds), where they are lightly pressed. The leftover whey can be used to make a particular kind of mixed sheep’s milk ricotta. The curds are dry-salted, directly on both faces of the cheese, and left covered in salt for 12 hours. They are removed from the fassàre after 48 hours. The cheese is then left to ripen and is turned after the first 15 days. The gròsta (rind) forms after one week and from this moment on the cheese can be washed, even several times, in order to clean off any residue.

Pecorino dei Berici is ready to eat after 60 days. The strength of flavour varies according to length of maturing, which can be extended to around 3 months, at which point the cheese is considered mature. It can be kept for up to 12 months. The product can be found in dairies, “malghe" (mountain huts), “agriturismi" (holiday farms) and in small retailers throughout Vicenza and neighbouring areas.

Calories in different varieties and various types of cheeses

The number of calories in various types of cheese is very similar when you compare your cheese to a similar types of cheese.

For example, almost cheeses that are similar to Cheddar cheese have around 400 calories per 100g

If the Pecorino dei Berici cheese is not listed below, select a similar type of cheese from the list below to get a rough idea for the number of calories in Pecorino dei Berici cheese.

The calorie lists are sortable by clicking the up and down arrows in the heading columns

Cheese type	Calories per 100g
American cheese	371
Blue cheese	353
Camembert cheese	299
Cheddar cheese	402
Cottage cheese	98
Edam cheese	357
Farmer's cheese	98
Feta cheese	264
Fontina cheese	389
Goat cheese	364
Gouda cheese	356
Gruyere cheese	413
Mozzarella cheese	280
Parmesan cheese	431
Pimento cheese	375
Provolone cheese	352
Queso blanco cheese	310
Ricotta cheese	174
Roquefort cheese	369
Swiss cheese	380

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