*Seggianino* a Pecorino semistagionato from the medieval village of Seggiano about 100km South of Florence in the province of Grosetto, which -along with other Pecorini- is produced by Caseificio Seggiano.
Where it comes from…
The town ofSeggiano on the slopes of Mount Amiata, known for its breathtaking sunsets might be more famous for its DOP olive oil than for its cheeses, but with Caseificio Seggiano the village has another culinary attraction more than worth a palate visit.
The makers….
Caseificio Seggianowas born in 2001, when two cousins, Roberto Governi and Gabriele Fabbri, decided to become business partners and with a lot of passion and enthusiasm lifted their long standing family tradition into a new hemisphere.
Since then they pursue the goal of combining traditional cheese-making knowledge and procedures with new technologies. Many steps within their artisanal cheese-making process, like dry salting and the turning of the cheeses are still made solely by hand, while others are supported by modern utensils.
The most important content of their cheeses – the milk – is obtained from farmers nearby to ensure preserving the unique flavor profile typical to this still unspoiled area.
To ensure the quality of the milk and sustainability of their products Caseificio Seggiano is an active partner of *Io Latte* a consortium dedicated to the making of artisanal cheese produced with healthy, free-range animals that get the best possible feed.
How it´s made and what to pair it with…
*Seggianino* is made out of pasteurized sheep´s milk obtained from Sardinian sheep and as a semistagionato matures for 50-60 days.
The layered, ivory colored paste delivers joyful scents of lactic acid, pineapple and an innocent ewe´s barn. On the palate *Seggianino* pirouettes into a lemony pepper heat of cooked butter and herbal sheep. *Seggianino semistagionato* likes to be paired with Salumi as well as pears or apples, all of which enhance his flavor profile.
Interesting Fact: A young Pecorino, eg. a young Pecorino Toscano DOP, according to the statutes can be consumed after an aging time of 20 days, while middle aged Pecorini like our *Seggianino* ripen for a time of approximately 50-60 days. Old Pecorini (Pecorino stagionato) are aged for a 120days + period, with “Riserva” representatives like theGran Riserva Pecorino by Caseificio Seggianothat are matured for 12months and more.
Gustav who rates our personal *Seggianino* a delicious 12/10 says he will dress himself up like a Sardinian sheep and go undercover amidst the flock and the fresh&tasteful landscape to nibble on a piece of *Seggianino* till the break of dawn.
By the way, the face on the label is a self-portrait of Sandro Botticelli which is part of his painting “the adoration of the 3 Magi” who are said to have followed a star to find the newborn Jesus. The painting was originally located in the church of Santa Maria Novellain Florence and can now be seen in the Uffizi.