Nuvola di Pecora Cheese

G. Stephen Jones • January 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

Nuvola di Pecora – An Italian Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Here comes a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese from Northern Italy that’s rustic in style with a creamy and meaty flavor. Somewhat hard to find, Nuvola di Pecora or “Sheep’s Cloud” comes from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy between the Appenine Mountains and the River Po.

Aged for about thirty days so it can develop its thin, bloomy rind, Nuvola di Pecora cheese has a firm but pliable texture. It’s produced in 3 pounds squares and has a ivory interior. Taste wise; it is somewhat mild with just a touch of sheep flavor.

Most of the sheep’s milk cheese I’m familiar with like Manchego or Pecorino are hard cheeses with distinct sheep flavor. This is what makes Nuvola di Pecora so unique and somewhat rare and expensive. I paid $25 per pound for a small taste!

I really enjoy sheep’s milk cheeses but they are not as popular with the rest of my family so when I can find a cheese like this that everyone will enjoy, I’m in luck. Even the kids thought it was “ok”. I’ll take “ok”.

Don’t overpower this cheese with a big red wine. A lighter red like Pinot Noir would be good. I might even try it with a chardonnay although not at breakfast when I eat most of my cheeses on Saturday morning after a trip to the farmers market.

Region: Romagna

Country: Italy

Milk Type: Sheep

Milk Treatment: Pasteurized

Rennet: Traditional

Rind: Bloomy

Texture: Firm

Aging: 30 days

Size(s): 3 pound square

Price I Paid: $24.99/pound

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I strongly urge you to find a good cheese shop near you so you can get to know your cheesemongers and they get to know you. However, if you don't have a good local cheese shop or they don't have some of the cheeses I recommend, here are some online sources for you. Be careful to buy the best product you can afford so you don't end up with an inferior product. The links below are affiliate links.

Di Bruno Brothers is close to home to me. They have been in Philadelphia since 1939 and prided themselves on bringing amazing food to the city of Philadelphia and drawing food lovers together in their ‘home.’ They also have a store just outside of Philly where I get most of my cheese and cured meats. If you can't find a particular cheese in your market, most likely Di Bruno Bros. will.

For the Gourmet

In 2002, a group of classically trained and talented Chefs found themselves as Executive Chefs in kitchens across the country. While creating their menus and gourmet specials it became obvious that certain quality products they had found in specific regions of the country and around the world were not always available to them. They quickly began to realize the value of getting the best, freshest and origin specific gourmet products to their kitchens and more importantly, to their customers. That need and passion for the freshest and finest gourmet products evolved into For the Gourmet.