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Cheese from Italy, Calabria

Pecorino della vallata Stilaro-AllaroPecorino della Vallata "Stilaro-Allaro"

A raw-milk sheep-and-goat cheese from the Ionian side of Reggio Calabria, made entirely by hand. Evening and morning milk is set at 30–35 °C with a kid rennet paste the shepherds make themselves, in about an hour; the curd is broken to rice size, pressed by hand, packed into rush baskets and dry-salted next day. It ripens 4 to 10 months in cool, dry rooms.

Fully documentedCheese4 months – 10 monthsPAT (traditional agri-food product, Calabria)Family: Hard pressed ewe cheese family (Manchego and Pecorino Romano as templates)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe sheets give the method, not a batch recipe. A cheese weighs 1–2 kg.
Raw whole sheep and goat milk from local breeds, mostly grazedProportions vary and are not set[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Kid rennet pasteMade by the shepherds from the milk curd found in the kid's abomasum, with salt or vinegar; diluted in warm water before use[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
SaltDry-salted[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Starternone; the milk's own flora

Total time across the recorded steps: 4 months – 10 months

Start
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What changes: Starting material: raw sheep and goat milk, filtered into the vat

Step 1 of 7
Filter the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Raw evening and morning milk is poured through a fine sieve into the vat.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

A raw-milk sheep-and-goat cheese from the Ionian side of Reggio Calabria, made entirely by hand. Evening and morning milk is set at 30–35 °C with a kid rennet paste the shepherds make themselves, in about an hour; the curd is broken to rice size, pressed by hand, packed into rush baskets and dry-salted next day. It ripens 4 to 10 months in cool, dry rooms. Made in 7 steps over 4 months – 10 months. The longest step, ripen in cool, dry rooms, takes 4–10 months (ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori F…). The raw milk's own natural microflora; no culture is added does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step4–10 monthsReported[onaf-sheet]Ripen in cool, dry rooms
Temperature30–35 °CReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Set with kid rennet paste

What makes this one different

Made from mixed sheep and goat milk, set with a rennet paste the shepherds make from the milk curd in kid stomachs, and worked entirely by hand. The curd is cooled and pressed under the whey before it goes into the baskets.

Size
Cylinder 15–20 cm across, 8–14 cm high, 1–2 kg
Rind
Hard and wrinkled, with rush-basket marks; white to ochre
Season
October to July (ONAF); January to July in the regional sheet

Related ferments

Safety

The regional file names raw milk, tinned copper vats and wooden tools as the main risks, with Staphylococcus aureus among the hazards. It asks for milk checks, good hygiene and a visual check of every finished cheese.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus, named in the regional file as a raw-milk risk to control.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

ONAF's sheet says the origins lie in a fairly remote past and the techniques are almost unchanged. It says making cheese from sheep and goat milk is the main living of farm families in the area.

  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Calabria, Prodotti agro-alimentari tradizionali, sheet «Pecorino della Vallata "Stilaro-Allaro"» (scanned copy hosted by ONAF; no text layer)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet «Pecorino della vallata Stilaro-Allaro»web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page «Pecorino della vallata Stilaro-Allaro» (id 1123)web