Enna Piacentinu

Slow Food Presidium

Italy

Sicily

Milk and milk products

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Enna Piacentinu

Around the Erei mountains and the Dittaino Valley, in the Sicilian province of Enna, the springs are rainy and the summers humid. The rich variety of plants (sulla, vetch, rosemary, wild fennel and many others typical of the Mediterranean maquis) growing between 400 and 800 meters above sea level makes this one of the parts of the island with the highest number of sheep farms. The native Sicilian sheep breeds raised in these hills include Comisana, Pinzirita and Valle del Belice.
Since ancient times, their milk has been flavored with locally grown saffron and turned into Piacentinu, a sheep’s milk cheese, named after the dialect word for “which is liked.” Over the centuries, different anecdotes have attached themselves to the cheese. According to legend, in the 11th century, Ruggero I, Count of Altavilla, cured his wife Adelasia’s depression by asking local cheesemakers to add a pinch of saffron to their sheep’s cheese.
Produced in nine municipalities in the province of Enna, the cheese has a compact texture and a unique appearance. The use of saffron gives the cheese a distinctive yellow color, and the paste is studded with whole black peppercorns, which are soaked in hot water the evening before the cheese is made. The processing technique, which involves the addition of hot water to the curd and a careful use of salt, make this one of Sicily’s least “aggressive” cheeses, with a more “European” style than many others from the island.
After being aged for around 60 days, Enna Piacentinu develops a delicate fragrance and aromatic flavor, with a gentle sweetness from the saffron.

Season

Enna Piacentinu is available throughout the year

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The Presidium wants this historic cheese to be re-evaluated and to involve other cheesemakers in the production area in order to increase the quantity produced and to promote it outside the province.

Production area
Aidone, Assoro, Barrafranca, Calascibetta, Enna, Piazza Armerina, Pietraperzia, Valguarnera and Villarosa municipalities, Enna province

Presidium supported by
Sicilian Region
Producers

Casearia Di Venti
di Pietro Di Venti
Contrada Tresaudo
Calascibetta (En)
Tel. +39 338 8454255
casearidiventi54@gmail.com

Caseificio Valvo
di Giuseppe Savarese
Contrada Salerno, 1
Enna
Tel. +39 328 9743136
info@caseificiovalvo.it
www.caseificiovalvo.it

Il Cavalcatore
di Gaetano Nicoletti
Contrada Cavalcatore
Assoro (En)
Tel. +39 328 1097241
ilcavalcatore@virgilio.it

Centroform
di Giuseppe Caruso
Contrada Montagna
Aidone (En)
Tel. +39 333 9388936
gaetano.caruso@centroform.it
www.centroform.it

Eredi Cottonaro
di Paolo Cottonaro
Contrada Raja
S.S. 121 Km 98.8
Enna
Tel. +39 392 7787728
caseificioraja@gmail.com
www.caseificioraja.com

Giuseppe Spitale
Contrada Canneti
Enna
Tel. +39 334 9877914
aziendaagricolaspitale@virgilio.it

Tenuta Bubudello
di Luigi Faraci
Contrada Bubudello
Enna
Tel. +39 368 671316
luigifaraci@hotmail.it
Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Raffaele Sarda
Tel. +39 330 528052
raffaelesarda@gmail.com

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Stefania Mancini Alaimo
Tel. +39 333 9218021
mancinialaimo@hotmail.com

The Presidium wants this historic cheese to be re-evaluated and to involve other cheesemakers in the production area in order to increase the quantity produced and to promote it outside the province.

Production area
Aidone, Assoro, Barrafranca, Calascibetta, Enna, Piazza Armerina, Pietraperzia, Valguarnera and Villarosa municipalities, Enna province

Presidium supported by
Sicilian Region
Producers

Casearia Di Venti
di Pietro Di Venti
Contrada Tresaudo
Calascibetta (En)
Tel. +39 338 8454255
casearidiventi54@gmail.com

Caseificio Valvo
di Giuseppe Savarese
Contrada Salerno, 1
Enna
Tel. +39 328 9743136
info@caseificiovalvo.it
www.caseificiovalvo.it

Il Cavalcatore
di Gaetano Nicoletti
Contrada Cavalcatore
Assoro (En)
Tel. +39 328 1097241
ilcavalcatore@virgilio.it

Centroform
di Giuseppe Caruso
Contrada Montagna
Aidone (En)
Tel. +39 333 9388936
gaetano.caruso@centroform.it
www.centroform.it

Eredi Cottonaro
di Paolo Cottonaro
Contrada Raja
S.S. 121 Km 98.8
Enna
Tel. +39 392 7787728
caseificioraja@gmail.com
www.caseificioraja.com

Giuseppe Spitale
Contrada Canneti
Enna
Tel. +39 334 9877914
aziendaagricolaspitale@virgilio.it

Tenuta Bubudello
di Luigi Faraci
Contrada Bubudello
Enna
Tel. +39 368 671316
luigifaraci@hotmail.it
Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Raffaele Sarda
Tel. +39 330 528052
raffaelesarda@gmail.com

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Stefania Mancini Alaimo
Tel. +39 333 9218021
mancinialaimo@hotmail.com

Territory

StateItaly
RegionSicily

Other info

CategoriesMilk and milk products