Sardinian flower

Preparation:

Preparation: It is the pecorino traditionally produced in Sardinia before the technology of pecorino romano was introduced. It is a hard, raw cheese produced with sheep's milk which can be marketed in various stages of maturation. The shape is that of two truncated cones joined by the larger base. The barefoot, 'on the back of a mule' measures from 7 to 10 cm; 20-30cm diameter fit. It is produced throughout Sardinia. The sheep's milk from a single milking is coagulated with kid or lamb rennet. Once the mass has formed, it is briefly immersed in hot water in order to better model the shape externally and to thicken the crust so that it is more resistant. It is then briefly salted in brine and then dry. At this point it is ready to be aged for a minimum of three months, up to six months and more. After salting, in the house of the shepherd-cheesemaker, it is placed and left to dry on a reed trellis called 'cannitta' which is suspended over a lit fire, thus also undergoing a slight smoking. It is then transferred to a mezzanine located under the roof and then to basement rooms with the right amount of humidity and ventilation where it can remain for several months and where it is periodically turned over and rubbed with olive oil. The peculiarity of this cheese is that it is still largely artisanal, linked to the manual skill of the shepherds-cheesemakers. There are still many shepherds who continue to make cheese at home or in the 'pinnette' using the old tubs, but more often the copper boilers. The pinnette are rooms with a circular plan with stone walls and a roof made of wood and branches, suitable for passing the smoke from the hearth lit in the center to dry the cheese wheels. The tradition of shepherding in Sardinia is as old as man. A bronze statuette from the first millennium BC Found in Dolianova, it represents a shepherd carrying a ram on his shoulders. The Sardinian sheep breed is autochthonous and it seems that it descends from the mouflon which still thrives in the most remote areas of the island. The Sardinian flower is the offspring of the pecorino cheeses produced in Sardinia since ancient times with a technology far earlier than that of the Roman pecorino, introduced at the end of the 19th century.