Tuma Persa

Tuma Persa is a unique cheese produced by a single cheesemaker in Castronovo di Sicilia, a town situated between Agrigento and Palermo in Sicily, Italy. This cheese was popular in various parts of Sicily in the eighteenth century and has been known by several names, such as cacio buffalo, cacio turc, and toma perduta. The name "persa" means "lost."

Historical Background

Legend has it that Tuma Persa was accidentally discovered when a cheesemaker forgot a pressed cheese in a corner of the aging room. After finding it covered in mold weeks later, he opened it and found the interior to be good in taste and smell. This led to the intentional production of the cheese using the same method. In the 1990s, a Sicilian producer revived this historic cheese, and today, the production process is well-defined.

Production Process

Tuma Persa is an uncooked, pressed, semihard cheese made from thermized whole cow’s milk using kid rennet. The cheese undergoes two fermentation stages before salting. Initially, the cheese is set and left untouched for a week. It is then washed and allowed to ferment for another ten days, followed by washing, brushing, and finally salting. The cheese is brine-salted to a maximum of 2% salt concentration, and aging takes place for eight months in thick-walled limestone structures partially built into the ground.

Characteristics

Tuma Persa has a cylindrical shape with flat sides, measuring about 4–4.7 inches (10–12 cm) in height and 11–12 inches (28–30 cm) in diameter, and weighing 15.4–17.6 pounds (7–8 kg). The rind is ochre-colored and darkens after being rubbed with olive oil and ground pepper. The interior is white to straw-yellow, tender and compact, with sparse holes. The taste is sweet and spicy with a long-lasting and aromatic aftertaste.

Organoleptic Characteristics

Aspect and texture: Yellow-ocher crust, soft and compact paste with few holes, white to yellow-straw color.
Taste: Balanced between sweet and spicy, not salty, with an aftertaste reminiscent of blue cheeses.
Serving suggestions: Pairs well with bodied and aged red wines, wildflower honey, spicy chutney of pears and quinces, broad beans, peas, fresh figs, and homemade bread.

Tuma Persa - The Lost Cheese of Sicily

This cheese, also known as the "lost cheese of Sicily," is produced exclusively by Salvatore Passalaqua. Aged for over six months, Tuma Persa is made from raw cow's milk and coated with crushed peppercorns. It has a creamy and crumbly texture, with earthy and milky flavors and a sharp finish. It can replace provolone in many recipes and pairs well with Sicilian wines like Nero d'Avola, Passito di Pantelleria, and Malvasia Lipari.

Important Facts

Country of Origin	Italy
Specific Origin	Castronovo di Sicilia, between Agrigento and Palermo, Sicily
Milk Type	Thermized whole cow’s milk
Milk Treatment	Thermized
Rind	Ochre-color, darkens with olive oil and pepper
Texture	Tender, compact
Flavor	Sweet and spicy
Aroma	Good, peculiarly aromatic aftertaste
Colors	White to straw-yellow
Forms	Cylindrical, 4–4.7 inches high, 11–12 inches diameter, 15.4–17.6 pounds
Age	8 months
Rennet Type	Kid rennet