an abundance of Sicilian Cheese .....


For hundreds of years, cheese was one of the most important parts of every meal in Italy, especially in poorer regions. Each region and almost every village has developed and refined its own recipe.

According to legend the first cheese maker was the shepherd Aristeus, son of the nymph Cyrene and the god Apollo.

Cheese is one of the oldest and most versatile foods on earth and the production one of humanity’s oldest artisanal arts.

Sicilian cheeses reflect the seasons, the pasture, the milk and the maker. 

Most of the cheeses are unknown outside of Sicily and they represent what the shepherds once called Il Frutto, the fruit of the milk.

There are mainly three different groups of Sicilian cheese, Ricotta, Pasta Filata and Pasta Pressata, but there are many more.


The word Ricotta literally means recooked and it is made from the whey left over from the making of other cheese. It is made from sheep’s milk which is creamier than cow’s milk. Ricotta can be used on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes. It is used in many Sicilian dishes, especially as a stuffing for ravioli or in pastries but it is most well known for being used sweetened with sugar for making Cannoli and Cassata. Also popular is Ricotta Salata, this is ricotta that has been drained in woven baskets, salted and dried in the Sicilian sun for many weeks. It is a popular garnish for pasta dishes especially Pasta alla Norma.

Pasta Filata is a group of cheeses that are known as Caciocavallo. The word comes from the ancient technique of hanging cheeses from poles as if over a horses back (Cavallo means Horse).The most well known cheeses in this group are Ragusano D.O.P and Provola, which has a distinctive pear shape. Caciocavallo is ripened for at least six months. Its core is yellowish gold and has a full, lightly sweet taste. It is also sold smoked.

Pasta Pressata means hand pressed, semi-cooked cheese. Examples of these types of cheeses are Pecorino Siciliano, which includes tuma, primosale and stagionato. Pecorino Siciliano has culinary roots in antiquity and was described by Pliny as one of the best cheeses of his time. Young pecorino is called Primo Sale and is used like Mozzarella, riper versions provide a delicious alternative to Parmesan.


We have had our Sicilian home for 10 years but there are still some Sicilian cheeses that I cannot recognise, so I am going to pass you over to the experts.

Family run La Bottega del Formaggio is located in Taormina on Via Bagnoli Croci, the road that leads down to the Public Gardens (Formaggio means Cheese).

Newly opened earlier this year all their cheese is produced on the family’s farm in the countryside just outside Taormina.

They have an abundance of cheese to buy and the lovely Concettina will help you taste and choose a cheese to suit your palate. My favourite is the Pecorino made with black peppercorns, there is also a new trend in cheese making of adding ingredients such as pepperoncino (chilli pepper) sundried tomato, walnuts and pistachio which you can find in the shop. I have to say the combination of pistachio in cheese is mind-blowingly wonderful.

They also have an array of preserved produce in jars of yummy Sicilian olives, sundried tomatoes, peppers and vegetables. Also jars of jams and marmalades. There is also an extensive choice of Sicilian wine.

When visiting the shop there is a television screen up above the counter showing the methods of how their cheeses are produced on their farm.

Our tip is to purchase some cheese, salami and olives then have a picnic in the public gardens overlooking the Bay of Naxos, Mount Etna and the sparkling Ionian Sea, wine optional.

Buonissimo.

La Bottega del Formaggio is one of our “Top 50 Taormina Tips”, Follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/La-Bottega-Formaggio-Taormina

Read our most popular blog post Our Top 50 Taormina Tips for more information on fun things to do whilst staying in Taormina. 

If you enjoyed this foodie post then you will love these ones, search our archive for;
an abundance of Lemons .....
an abundance of Oranges .....
an abundance of Almonds .....







Thank you for following me at White Almond Sicily

For NEW Blog updates and all things Sicilian

You can also follow me on
Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google + and Linkedin

I am also a contributor to www.timesofsicily.com

for Travel Advice and Recomendations 

Popular posts from this blog

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

Image
Sicily is a place full of myths and legends and there are many stories associated with the island. From the stories of nymphs and gods from Greek and Roman mythology to tragic love stories from an exotic era when the island was under Arabic, Norman and Spanish rule. Some stories have happy endings and some not so happy endings.  What is a legend? Legends are stories which are thought to be based on true events but have developed fictional elements that have deep significance to the culture from which they originate. For example historians claim that King Arthur really existed but his existence is shrouded in different legends, such as is his final resting place on Mount Etna?  What is a myth? Myths are stories derived from cultural traditions or legends most of which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson that will be helpful to the listener or reader. Mythical characters are often non-human in some form or related to a god or supernatural being, often set i...
Read more

'Salsiccia' ... the Great Sicilian Sausage

Image
As you travel around Sicily whether it is via the stunning coastline or its interior mountain regions you will notice top quality fresh ingredients and dishes made from delicious recipes. I love food, especially Mediterranean food, which makes Sicily the perfect place for me to live, Sicily is a foodie’s paradise. One of my favourite things to eat and something I am addicted to is salsiccia , Sicilian sausage.  If I had my way I would eat it every day and would probably end up looking like one. When my “adopted” Sicilian big brother came to stay with us in London I worried about what I was going to cook a Sicilian every day, especially one that is a fantastic cook. One evening I decided on an English style sausage casserole. After serving the sausages on his plate he started to scrape the entire dish back into my casserole pot.  “These are not sausages they are disgusting”.  I agree with him in some way, but you cannot compare English sausages with ...
Read more

The Lions of Sicily

Image
The Florio Family were a prominent entrepreneurial Italian family who started many lucrative activities in Sicily involving the export of Sicilian products, such as Marsala wine, in the nineteenth century. The family extended their interests to shipping, shipbuilding and fisheries, mainly tuna production and preservation. The historical story of the family, of Calabrian origins from Bagnara Calabra, took place in Palermo between the 19th and 20th century. After a disastrous earthquake destroyed their family home in 1783, Paolo Florio born in 1772 and father to Vincenzo Florio, decided to move to Palermo to start a new life with his wife and young son. He opened in Palermo on Via Materassai a shop selling herbs and spices, colonial products and quinine, which was used to treat malaria. The shop quickly became one of the most prosperous businesses in the city attracting jealousy from fellow business owners who were of true Sicilian descendants and opposed to this new family from Calabria...
Read more