Dairy

Canestrato

Canestrato is a family of southern Italian hard sheep’s-milk cheeses moulded in wicker baskets (canestri) that leave a woven imprint on the rind. The paste is dense and straw-coloured, ageing from semi-firm table cheese into a sharp, peppery grater with herbal, toasted, and warm-sheep notes—Sicilian, Puglian, and other regional canestrati share the basket method but vary in salt and age. Serve young with broad beans and olive oil; grate aged canestrato over orecchiette, lamb ragù, or winter soups. Some wheels include black peppercorns. Store cool and dry; the basket-patterned rind is usually not eaten. Seek named regional PDOs (for example Canestrato Pugliese) when origin and pure sheep milk matter for the plate.

Also known as: Canestrato Pugliese