Valdorcia and cheese making

Among the experiences you cannot miss while visiting Tuscany is: cheese making.

Podere il Casale- Pienza

Have you ever heard about pecorino? I am sure you all did several times although the kind of cheese which is widely exported abroad for obvious but technical reasons is a specific aged pecorino cheese the so called Pecorino Romano.

But let me entertain you by explaining a couple of details :

"Pecorino" means sheep milk cheese as in Italian sheep is pecora  (* I am still laughing at me remembering what happened to me- a native italian speaking great english but with some "italian accent"... while talking to my clients. I wanted to stress that in the specific area we were touring, they were not going to see any sheep and goats...but I sounded like "You are not going to see any ships and boats"!-- I bet they will never forget such a cool tour escort eh?).

German, English and Spanish share the same old latin roots: Kase, Cheese, Queso 
Italian and French have the same late latin roots: Formaggio and Fromage
The old latin root was linked to the material used to make cheese, so caesum=milk, the late latin root was linked to the time of the year this product was made and the shape of the wheel...in Italian it would be "forma" di "Maggio" = formaggio  (the wheel made in the month of May!)

How was cheese discovered? By chance or simply observation.....how the enzymes in a lamb's stomach were transforming the milk leftovers from a liquid to a solid composition.

Pecorino di Pienza

Mass and industral production requires of course tons of controls and certifications as well as the procedures to make cheese (everywhere) begin with the pastorization process but in Tuscany specially in the Valdorcia area and specifically all around Pienza, a few farmers are allowed and certified to produce cheese with raw milk. Is that scary? Not at all it is simply the tradition and a great way not to kill the aromas inside the milk of course a milk coming directly from the animals raised by the farmers and not imported from another area or country!

So during a Valdorcia tour you need to ask to be introduced to organic farming and organic cheese making so that you can experience a delicious cheese tasting where every single bite will be terribly tasty.