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E N T E R TA I N I N G 202 2 culturecheesemag.com 53 Farindola today. He references "Vestini cheese" made with pig rennet in Roman times, when the Vestini tribe lived in the mountains of this region. "The characteristics have persisted through time, with few changes." Production dwindled in the 1990s, due to significant post-war emigration and a decrease in sheep farming. Pecorino di Farindola was named a Slow Food Presidium product in 2001, with the goal of safeguarding and reinvigorating production. It is generally believed to be the only cheese in Italy, and possibly the world, made with pig rennet. "Pig rennet doesn't exist [to buy]; we make it at home, from pigs we raise ourselves. It's not industrial, it's labor intensive—and rather complicated," says Sarto, who also serves as the Slow Food Presidium Producers' coordinator. There are variations from family to family…but only in this little area do we use rennet obtained from the stomach of a pig and the local white wine, Montonico, left to infuse for three to four months, or even over a year." The Women's Cheese Another hallmark of Pecorino di Farindola is that it is made exclusively by women. Historically, the men tended to the grazing and care of the sheep, and the women handled the transformation of the milk into cheese and the aging process. The recipe and technique are passed down from generation to generation, so the cheese is also known as pecorino delle donne (women's cheese). "Pig rennet doesn't exist [to buy]; we make it at home, from pigs we raise ourselves. It's not industrial, it's labor intensive—and rather complicated." At Eataly in Florence, the sign notes that the cheese is made with caglio suino (pig rennet) "We wanted to preserve the transfer of this tradition from mother to daughter, which is tied to the culture of this small area. Just five kilometers away cheese is made in a different way. It's beautiful to maintain this custom," Sarto says. In fact, on the label of every wheel of Pecorino di Farindola is the name of the woman who made it. At Masserie del Parco, Sarto's partner Silvia currently produces the pecorino, who learned how to make the cheese from her mother, Sara. A consortium of producers was formed in 2002 to help guarantee the continuation of traditional practices throughout the cheesemaking process. Only raw milk from sheep raised in the limited production area is used to make Pecorino di Farindola. After the pig rennet is added and the milk coagulates, the curd is cut into small pieces and placed into woven reed baskets, which give the rind its characteristic pattern. The cheese is left to drain for about a day, and then is dry salted by hand and aged on wooden shelves for a minimum of three months to over a year. The wheels are periodically rubbed with local extra virgin olive oil as they mature. How to Enjoy Pecorino di Farindola that has been aged four to five months (semistagionato) is traditionally eaten with bread, local olive oil, and occasionally fava beans. More recent pairings include fig jam, acacia honey, or mosto cotto, a syrup derived from cooked grapes that is another typical ingredient in Abruzzo. "Something sweet, but not too strong so the flavor of the cheese can prevail," explains Sarto. I tried a semistagionato wedge of Pecorino di Farindola when I was visiting friends in the quaint coastal town of Tortoreto in Abruzzo last summer. It was much milder and less spicy than the cheese I tasted in Florence, which had been aged for a longer period. More mature Pecorino di Farindola can be PHOTOS: Kristine Jannuzzi