Cheeses

Canestrato Pugliese

Canestrato Pugliese PDO: the sheep's cheese of transhumance, printed by rush baskets

Whole sheep's milk only, the curd pressed into rush baskets that print their weave on the rind: this is the cheese once made while flocks wintered on the Tavoliere. It ripens for two to ten months in cool rooms, its rind rubbed with olive oil, and carries a Protected Designation of Origin.

• A hard, wrinkled, brown-gold rind bearing the imprint of the woven baskets
• Straw-coloured paste, compact and crumbly, melting a little, with barely any eyes
• Mild and lightly salty when young, piquant and fragrant after months of ageing

How to enjoy it. Serve it young beside fresh broad beans, pears or crudités with a dry white or rosé; past six months, grate it fresh over orecchiette with meat ragù. Cut it into wedges and keep them wrapped in a damp cotton cloth.

Production areas

Apulia

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