Nuvola di Pecora Cheese

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.