This month I would present you the Pécorino Canestratto

The name of that cheese is derived from the word ''canestri'' who means basket in Italian,as this cheese is moulded and drained in a round basket.Production of this cheese is made around the province of Foggia and 16 provinces in a region of Bari.The cheese is made during the ''transhumance'' period, it's a hard ewe's milk cheese from the Gentile di Puglia breed.They usually mature and sell this cheese between December and May.The shape of the cheese can vary from 7 to 14 kgs, as the cheese is pressed in its basket to give the original shape and relief.At the making the cheese is salted by hand with sea salt and rubbed with olive oil. Then the maturing process starts with three months in an ambient cellar. When the Pécorino arrive in our cellar we gently brush the crust and turn the cheese once a week, it will help developping a strong character and a grainy texture. Pécorino Canestratto will be excellent served with a glass of Champagne or a strong red wine from Puglia.