Slow Food Pistoia Mountain Pecorino Cheese

Raw Milk – Massese Breed – Minimum Maturing 35 Days

The aromatic evolution of Pistoia Pecorino: complexity and mountain character

The Pecorino of the Pistoia Mountains with the Abbucciato cheeseVerdetti Catia Agricultural Company

Slow Food's Pecorino della Montagna Pistoiese Abbucciato represents the aromatic evolution of fresh pecorino, a cheese that, through aging for at least 35 days (compared to 7-20 for fresh cheese), develops superior complexity, structure, and sensory depth while maintaining the freshness and territorial expression that characterize artisanal raw-milk cheeses. Produced exclusively with raw milk from Massese sheep—the only native Tuscan breed with lead-gray fleece, glossy black hair, and dark, spiraling horns—raised in the Pistoia mountain pastures by families of shepherds and cheesemakers who heroically resist industrial standardization, this pecorino is protected by the Slow Food Presidium, which guarantees its authenticity, centuries-old traditional methods, and exceptional quality.

Aging for at least 35 days allows the native lactic acid bacteria (native bacteria and molds from the area, never selected industrial cultures) to slowly work, converting lactose into lactic acid, partially breaking down proteins and fats, releasing amino acids and fatty acids that develop complex aromas, concentrating flavors through the evaporation of moisture, and creating that characteristic rind, slightly thicker and more colorful than fresh cheese (still straw yellow but more intense), which protects the heart of the cheese, allowing for optimal maturation. The name "abbucciato" likely derives from the practice of removing ("sbucciare") the rind before eating, although many connoisseurs appreciate it for the concentrated flavor it imparts.

The cheese is round, weighing approximately 1-1,5 kg. The rind is smooth and straw yellow in color, more pronounced than that of the fresh cheese. The paste is compact, ivory-white with fine, uniform holes and a texture that is beginning to develop the grainy crumblyness typical of aged pecorino cheeses, while maintaining a residual creaminess. On the nose, the aromas are more intense than those of the fresh cheese, with notes that go beyond the simple milky to embrace more complex scents: delicate animal notes (wool, clean stables), dry pasture, hay, melted butter, with nuances reminiscent of dried fruit. On the palate, the flavor is rich, layered, and more savory than that of the fresh cheese, with an aromatic complexity that evolves as you chew, revealing notes of chestnut on the finish—a distinctive feature of the Abbucciato—along with a subtle spiciness and a long finish that invites further sensory exploration.

Like Fresco, Abbucciato is an extremely sought-after cheese, almost impossible to find, with availability limited to just a few artisanal pieces produced by about fifteen producers scattered across the Pistoia mountains. A rare gastronomic heritage that the Slow Food Presidium and courageous producers like young Rachele Petrucci (supported by her grandmother Catia Verdetti) are preserving against the pressures of industrial standardization.
 
 
 

The roots of the Abbucciato are rooted in the need for mountain conservation

In traditional mountain economies, preserving excess milk through cheesemaking was a vital necessity: in the summer, sheep grazing on rich pastures produced abundant milk, which could neither be consumed entirely fresh nor easily transported down to the valley. Shepherd-cheesemakers developed graduated aging techniques, producing cheeses with different maturations for staggered consumption: fresh cheese for immediate family consumption or quick sale to nearby villages; abbucciato (medium aging) for consumption after a few weeks; and pecorino da serbo (long aging 3-12 months) for the winter when milk production declined.

Abbucciato represented the perfect compromise: aged long enough to develop aromatic complexity and a longer shelf life than fresh cheese, but not so long as to require months of waiting or extensive refrigeration. A "middle-of-the-road" cheese that balanced production convenience, commercial needs, and sensory quality. Today, freed from the pure necessity of preservation thanks to modern refrigeration, the 35+ day aging of Abbucciato is a conscious choice to offer a taste experience midway between the milky sweetness of Fresco and the savory power of Stagionato, appealing to palates seeking character without being aggressive.
 
 
 

Choosing Abbucciato means aromatic complexity and lively raw milk

Raw milk cheese aged for 35+ days offers the best of both worlds: the enzymatic and microbial vitality of unpasteurized milk, which creates an aromatic complexity unattainable in industrially pasteurized cheeses, and sufficient time for controlled fermentations to develop layered flavors, interesting textures, and that distinctive “personality” that makes each wheel slightly different, expressing the seasonality, specific pastures, and hands of the cheesemaker.

Nutritionally, it contains high-biological-value proteins (partially predigested by ferments and therefore more easily absorbed), bioavailable calcium, concentrated fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), beneficial fatty acids (CLA, omega-3s from pasture), and live probiotics (although in smaller quantities than yogurt or kefir). Aging reduces lactose (converted into lactic acid), making the cheese often tolerable even for people with mild lactose intolerance. A nutritionally dense food that is deeply satisfying in moderate portions.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Pecorino della Montagna Pistoiese Abbucciato

• TASTING AND CHEESE BOARDS
  Bring the Abbucciato to room temperature 30-60 minutes before tasting. Cut into wedges and serve on a cutting board with organic five-grain and seed bread, pears mature or apples, organic Sorrento walnuts, Chestnut honey. Match Tuscan red wines medium-sized, evolved whites, ancient grain ear beers.
• TRADITIONAL MOUNTAIN COMBINATIONS
  Serve with polenta prepared with Bramata coarse grain corn flour (classic Apennine pairing), Organic Leonessa potatoes  boiled crushed chestnuts, chestnut flour necci. Accompany organic chestnuts, Rye bread. Use in salads autumnal with round red radicchio, pecans, organic pomegranate.
• GRATED ON PASTA AND RISOTTO
  Grate generously on pici with organic ancient grains, tagliatelle all'uovo, gnocchi, Organic radicchio and porcini mushroom risotto. Use for cacio e pepe, pasta with truffles. Shavings on Organic Legume Joy Soup, organic ribollita, tomato soup. Melted on vegetables on the grill.

The Producer: Verdetti Catia Agricultural Company

The Verdetti Catia Farm in San Marcello Piteglio (PT) preserves the Pistoia mountain cheesemaking tradition, raising approximately 140 Massese sheep and producing Slow Food Presidium Pecorino della Montagna Pistoiese from raw milk according to strict regulations that exclude pasteurization, additives, and selected industrial starter cultures. Led by the young Rachele Petrucci, who has chosen to continue her grandmother Catia's work, the farm represents a model of mountain cultural and agricultural resilience, also producing raveggiolo, ricotta, ancient grains, and flours. Each wheel of pecorino is a testament to preserved biodiversity, a preserved landscape, and a vibrant rural community.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Raw Massese sheep's milk, salt, natural rennet. Homemade starter cultures may be used (milk starter, whey starter, or scotta starter). No additives, preservatives, or industrial starter cultures.
 
 
 

Product Features

• Name: Pecorino della Montagna Pistoiese Abbucciato
• Recognition: Slow Food Presidium
• Milk: Raw sheep's milk from the native Tuscan Massese breed
• Seasoning: Minimum 35 days (medium seasoning)
• Whole shape: Round, weight approximately 1-1,5 kg
• Crust: Smooth, marked straw yellow
• Pasta: Ivory white, compact, fine eyes
• Taste: Rich, complex, delicate animal notes, chestnut finish
• Availability: Very limited – only a few pieces left

Allergens

Contains sheep's milk and milk derivatives.
 
 
 

Freshness and Taste Guaranteed

The product arrives at your home in vacuum packaging which guarantees its freshness.
Slight variations in weight are possible due to the handcrafted manufacturing process which preserves the integrity of the product.
 
 
 

Follow us on Instagram for lots of news: @alpassofood

We answer all your questions about WhatsApp