PDO EUROPE TOUR: SOUTHERN ITALY
Created in 1992, the European PDO label aims to distinguish products that have been ‘processed and produced in a specific geographical area, using the recognised expertise of local producers and ingredients from the region concerned’. As of 1 January 2025, there are more than 153 PDO cheeses, butters and creams across Europe (including British and Swiss equivalents). The trade show invites you to discover them in its news pages, while you wait to taste them at the exhibitors' stands from 7 to 9 June 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
According to the list published by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the peninsula now has more than 50 PDO (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta) cheeses! This certainly explains why, with 42 exhibitors, Italy was (by far) the leading foreign country represented at the 2024 Cheese and Dairy Products Show.
This is also why we have chosen to separate Northern and Southern Italy, in order to better showcase the richness of the cheese offering. After presenting the main PDO cheeses of Northern Italy, today we turn our attention to the major PDO cheeses of Southern Italy!
Caciocavallo Silano
Caciocavallo Silano is a traditional cheese made from raw milk, whose name evokes the Sila plateau (Calabria), the cradle of its traditional production. It is a stretched-curd cheese, shaped into oval wheels suspended in pairs. Its smooth rind is straw-yellow and its ivory-coloured paste is slightly dotted with small eyes. When young, it has a mild, honeyed aroma; as it matures, its flavour becomes aromatic and pungent.
Credits: Creative Commons licence
Canestrato Pugliese
Canestrato Pugliese PDO is a hard cheese from Puglia made exclusively with whole sheep's milk from local pastures. The curd is moulded in woven baskets (canestri), which give it its name and leave a characteristic pattern on the thick brown rind. After maturing for 2 to 10 months, the wheel is cylindrical in shape, with a firm, crumbly, straw-yellow paste. Subtle when young, its flavour becomes stronger and saltier with age.
Credits: Source DOP Italian Food
Fiore Sardo
As its name suggests, Fiore Sardo is a dry cheese emblematic of Sardinia, made from raw milk from local sheep. It is produced using traditional methods: the curd is pressed and cooked in a cauldron, then the wheel is rubbed with olive oil and slowly smoked over local shrubs (myrtle). On the palate, Fiore Sardo reveals a strong, slightly pungent and salty flavour, supported by smoky and herbaceous notes inherited from the island's terroir.
Credits: Creative Commons licence
Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Romano is a traditional Italian hard cheese made from sheep's milk. Originating in the Lazio region, this cheese is aged for at least five months and is known for its grainy texture and salty, tangy flavour. Already enjoyed by Roman soldiers, it is now one of the most famous Italian cheeses and is used in many recipes, particularly pasta dishes such as cacio e pepe and carbonara. It is the most famous of the Italian Pecorini cheeses... but it is not the only one to benefit from a PDO! The list of protected designations of origin published by the European Commission includes no fewer than eight alternatives (Pecorino Siciliano, Sardo, Crotonese, Toscano, del Monte Poro, delle Balze Volterrane, di Filiano and di Picinisco)!
Credits : Creative Commons licence
Ragusano
Ragusano is produced in Sicily (in the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse) from raw milk from Modicana cows. It is a firm, pressed cheese with a stringy texture. Matured for several months (up to two years), it acquires a pale yellow paste and a thin cream-coloured rind. Its texture remains soft and melt-in-the-mouth; the taste, initially buttery and herbaceous, becomes increasingly strong and pronounced as it ages.
Credits: Creative Commons licence
Provolone del Monaco
Provolone del Monaco PDO is a semi-hard stretched-curd cheese from the Naples area (Campania). Traditionally shaped like a bell or a shuttle, it is hung in cellars to mature, giving it a firm, slightly grainy texture. For a few months, it has a mild, buttery and fruity flavour. Matured for a year or more, it becomes rich and intense: the paste develops pronounced nutty notes and a hint of piquancy, reflecting its long maturation. There is an alternative, also PDO: Provolone Valpadana.
Credits: Creative Commons licence
Vastedda della Valle del Belìce
Vastedda della Valle del Belìce is a fresh cheese from Sicily (Belice Valley) made from raw whole milk from local sheep. The cheese is moulded without pressing in a basket and then in a hollow dish, giving it its flat focaccia shape. It has no rind and a smooth, ivory-coloured paste. This cheese is eaten very fresh: its mild, slightly acidic and lactic flavour evokes the pure scent of sheep's milk, without any bitterness.
Credits: Creative Commons licence