Sardinia and Sicily Cheeses

Sardinia makes the pecorinos: Pecorino Sardo, smoked Fiore Sardo and a large share of Pecorino Romano. Sicily adds Pecorino Siciliano, the stretched curd Ragusano, caciocavallo and a whole range of ricotta.

Both islands go back to old pastoral traditions, and their protected names are narrower than the mainland's famous ones, so they are easy to miss in a US shop. For the wider map, see the Italian cheese guide and the Italy country page.

Sardinia and Sicily cheeses at a glance

Sardinia and Sicily cheeses at a glance, from the pages listed under Sources and the cheese pages linked below.

Sardinian cheeses

Sardinian cheeses start with the Sarda sheep and one idea: sheep's milk, aged to different degrees. Pecorino Sardo is the island's own DOP, made from the milk of the local Sarda sheep and sold in two forms. Pecorino Sardo dolce ages 20 to 60 days and Pecorino Sardo maturo more than two months, with the sharpness rising as it ages. The Pecorino Sardo page goes further.

Fiore Sardo is the shepherd's cheese: whole raw sheep's milk, set with lamb or kid rennet and traditionally smoked over scrub wood. It has a national denomination from 1955 and an EU PDO from 1996. Eat young wheels at the table and grate old ones; the full detail is on the Fiore Sardo page.

Sardinia is also one of the three production areas of Pecorino Romano, which is made in Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto. So a US shopper buying "Romano" is quite likely buying a Sardinian cheese.

Casu marzu

Casu marzu is the island's notorious cheese, a sheep's milk cheese left open so cheese fly larvae live in the paste. It is not for sale in Italy: the casu marzu page explains the law and the risks, and this page does not recommend seeking it out.

Sicilian cheeses

Sicilian cheeses mix sheep's milk and cow's milk traditions. Pecorino Siciliano is a semi-hard cylindrical sheep's milk cheese weighing about 12 kg (26 lb), with national DOC status from 1955 and PDO from 1996. It is made mainly in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Trapani and Palermo.

Ragusano is the island's stretched curd cheese. It is a firm pasta filata cheese made from the whole milk of Modicana cows raised on fresh grass or hay in the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse, and it is a PDO. It sits in the same family as caciocavallo, which is hung in pairs to age; Caciocavallo Silano carries its own DOP and is made in southern regions on the mainland.

Piacentinu Ennese is a sheep's milk cheese from the province of Enna that is flavored with saffron and black pepper, and is sold as a DOP. It is a rarity in the US.

Sicilian ricotta

Sicilian ricotta is a whey cheese, and in Sicily it matters as much as any aged cheese. Fresh ricotta fills cannoli and cassata; see cannoli and ricotta fillings for how to build one, and the ricotta page for what ricotta is.

Ricotta salata is the same cheese salted, pressed and dried until firm enough to grate, and it is traditionally used over pasta alla Norma. Baked and smoked ricottas are other forms. These are guidance from regional cooking rather than protected-name facts.

Buying Sardinia and Sicily cheeses in the US

Buying Sardinia and Sicily cheeses in the US starts at an Italian importer or a good cheese counter. Pecorino Romano is the easiest, Pecorino Sardo and Fiore Sardo come next, and Sicilian cheeses take more searching. Ask for the DOP name; the PDO and PGI guide explains the labels.

Mix and match young and old: a dolce Pecorino Sardo for the table, a maturo for grating. Fiore Sardo is the one to buy when you want something smoky.

How to eat Sardinia and Sicily cheeses

How to eat Sardinia and Sicily cheeses is simple: the pecorinos love honey, the old ones grate onto pasta, and the whole range goes with bold reds. Cannonau from Sardinia and Nero d'Avola from Sicily are the local reds, offered here as guidance rather than rule.

A simple board has a dolce Pecorino Sardo, a wedge of Fiore Sardo, a Pecorino Siciliano or caciocavallo, olives, bread and honey.

Sardinia and Sicily cheese mistakes that cost flavor

Sardinia and Sicily cheese mistakes that cost flavor mostly involve salt. These cheeses are salty, so do not salt the pasta water as you normally would when grating a lot of aged pecorino over the top. Do not serve them cold, and do not confuse pecorino with Parmigiano; Parmigiano is a very different cheese.

Questions about Sardinia and Sicily cheeses

These questions about Sardinia and Sicily cheeses come up often.

What cheese is Sardinia known for?

Sardinia is known for sheep's milk cheese: Pecorino Sardo, smoked Fiore Sardo and much of the Pecorino Romano sold worldwide.

What is Ragusano cheese?

Ragusano cheese is a firm pasta filata cheese from Sicily, made with the milk of Modicana cows in the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse.

What is the difference between Pecorino Sardo and Pecorino Romano?

The difference between Pecorino Sardo and Pecorino Romano is the style: Sardo is a milder island cheese in dolce and maturo forms, while Romano is saltier and sharper, and is made in three areas.

What is Fiore Sardo?

Fiore Sardo is a hard, traditionally smoked raw sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia with a PDO since 1996.

Is casu marzu legal?

Casu marzu is not legal to sell in Italy.

Try Sardinia and Sicily cheeses

To try Sardinia and Sicily cheeses, buy a Pecorino Sardo and a Fiore Sardo and taste them side by side with honey. Then add a piece of ricotta salata to grate over pasta.