Fiore Sardo Cheese

About Fiore Sardo Cheese

Fiore Sardo is a firm, smoked sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia. It has a rugged texture and a rich, savory flavor, which is enhanced by the smoking process. Traditionally made by shepherds, Fiore Sardo is aged for at least three months and can be used both as a grating cheese and a table cheese.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	Italy
Specific Origin	Sardinia
Protection	PDO (1996), DOP (1996)
Milk Type	Sheep's milk
Milk Treatment	Unpasteurized
Rind	Lightly smoked
Texture	Hard
Flavor	Spicy, herbaceous
Aroma	Smoky aroma
Colors	Straw yellow to dark brown
Forms	Approximately 7–9 inches tall
Age	4 months to longer
Rennet Type	Lamb's rennet

What is Fiore Sardo Cheese?

Fiore Sardo, or "Sardinian Flower," is a robust sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, Italy. Its name could originate from the use of wooden molds adorned with a floral design or from the use of cardoon flowers as rennet. This cheese is an integral part of Sardinian shepherd culture, historically essential but overshadowed in modern times by mass-produced Pecorino Romano.

Awarded PDO status in 1996, Fiore Sardo is crafted exclusively from the milk of local Sardinian sheep, ensuring its authenticity and depth of flavor. The cheese undergoes a distinctive process involving light smoking and aging in the cool Sardinian air, which imparts a unique smoky aroma and a rind that ranges from yellow to dark brown.

The flavor profile of Fiore Sardo is deeply entwined with the island's pastoral traditions, offering notes that span from spicy to herbaceous, reflecting the diverse flora consumed by the sheep. Suitable for grating or as a table cheese, it pairs excellently with robust southern Italian wines, embodying the essence of Sardinian terroir.