Fiore Sicano

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Tumazzu di vacca, also called fiore sicano, is a Sicilian cheese made from cow's milk or a blend of cow and sheep milk. It is listed among Italy's traditional agri-food products, and its wheels are bathed in hot whey before aging.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	Italy
Specific Origin	Sicani Mountains, western Sicily
Milk Type	Raw Cow's Milk
Milk Treatment	Raw
Rind	Thin, gray-green
Texture	Soft and compact
Flavor	Buttery, floral, mushroom
Colors	Yellowish white
Forms	Cylindrical, 30 cm (12 in) diameter, 20 cm (8 in) high, 5 to 20 kg (11 to 44 lb)
Age	3 to 18 months
Rennet Type	Lamb or kid paste
Also Known As	Tumazzu di vacca, tumazzu, tumma, Tumazzu di vacca ccu pipi (peppered version)

What is Fiore Sicano Cheese?

Tumazzu di vacca, also known as fiore sicano and in Sicilian simply as tumazzu or tumma, is a traditional Sicilian cheese. It appears on the list of traditional agri-food products (PAT) compiled by the Italian ministry of agriculture and forestry. Production is centered on the area of Patti and on the towns of Bivona, Cammarata and Santo Stefano Quisquina in the province of Agrigento, plus Castronovo di Sicilia, Palazzo Adriano and Prizzi in the province of Palermo.

The cheese is made with cow's milk or with a mix of cow and sheep milk, the second version called tipo piecora in Sicilian. Milk is brought to 35 C (95 F) before the quagghiu goes in, a paste rennet from kid or lamb. Once the curd has been cut it is drained and pressed into molds. The wheels then go into whey at 85 C (185 F) for roughly two hours. That whey bath is the step specific to Tumazzu.

Aging runs from 3 to 18 months in a cool, dark room. Every five days or so the wheels are turned and wiped with a cloth soaked in salt water. From time to time they are rubbed with oil, sometimes cut with vinegar.

A wheel measures 30 cm (12 in) across and 20 cm (8 in) tall, weighing anywhere from 5 to 20 kg (11 to 44 lb). The crust is rough. Inside, the paste is yellow and darkens the longer the cheese matures. Some makers add chili or black pepper to the curd, and that version is called Tumazzu di vacca ccu pipi, meaning peppered Tumazzu di vacca.