{"id":37594,"date":"2025-09-01T20:00:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T00:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/?post_type=global-math-stories&p=37594"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:36:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:36:19","slug":"italy-cortona","status":"publish","type":"global-math-stories","link":"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/es\/global-math-stories\/italy-cortona\/","title":{"rendered":"Italia | Cortona"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ITALY<\/h3>\n
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Land of Cheese and Charm<\/h1>\n

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By Maggie McHugh<\/p>\n

University of Wisconsin\u2013La Crosse and Sparta, WI, United States<\/p>\n

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Somewhere in the rolling hills of Italy<\/strong>, where cypress trees sway and sheep roam contentedly under the Tuscan sun, a delicious secret is being crafted, one baaa-rilliant<\/em> wheel at a time. Pecorino, the beloved sheep\u2019s milk cheese with a bite as bold as its heritage, is more than just a dairy delight. It is a centuries-old love letter from the Italian countryside.<\/p>\n

Join me on a journey that begins with a humble pecora<\/em> (that’s \u201csheep\u201d in Italian!) and ends with a salty, savory slice of tradition. As the locals say, Piano piano si fa il formaggio<\/em> (\u201cSlowly, slowly, the cheese is made\u201d). And trust me, every dreamy, creamy bite is worth the wait.<\/p>\n

Under the Tuscan Sun: Fattoria Bistecca<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meet Lapo Salvadori and his daughter Ilaria, cheesemakers at Fattoria Bistecca, a sun-drenched farm tucked into the hills of Cortona. Lapo may have made a cameo in the 2003 film Under the Tuscan Sun<\/em>, but it\u2019s his family\u2019s artisan cheese that\u2019s truly star-worthy. One golden June afternoon, a small group of us had the joy of learning to make three traditional cheeses right on their farm.<\/p>\n

Cheese #1: Raviggiolo<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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We began with a farm tour, complete with hot sun, happy sheep, and the scent of warm milk. Inside the farmhouse, Ilaria gently heated sheep\u2019s milk to 22\u00b0C and added rennet\u2014just 0.5 grams per 10 liters (L).<\/p>\n

The result was raviggiol<\/em>o, a silky cheese best eaten within 48 hours. Fresh from the vat, it\u2019s a little sweet and very milky.<\/p>\n

Ideally, it\u2019s slathered on Tuscan bread with olive oil and cracked pepper. Yes, please!<\/p>\n

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Cheese #2: Pecorino<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Next came the star of the show: pecorino, literally translated as \u201cof sheep\u201d in Italian. Lapo stirred the raviggiolo, breaking it down into curds. Then came the fishing: scooping warm curd from the whey with our hands, forming hefty balls of cheese dough. Gently, we pressed, pinched, salted, and flipped our way to the first stage of pecorino perfection.<\/p>\n

The aging process is part alchemy, part patience: four days of flipping and salting, followed by 25 more days of gentle turning to form a firm crust. At one month, it\u2019s pecorino fresco<\/em>, fresh pecorino\u2014mild and creamy. Aged longer, it’s brushed with olive oil, sealed with tomato paste or an ashy wood mixture. After six months, it becomes pecorino stagionato<\/em>, aged pecorino\u2014a sharp, robust cheese that is low in lactose.
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Lapo stirs the raviggiolo, starting the process to make pecorino. Photo courtesy of the author.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Cheese #3: Ricotta<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We nearly forgot the leftover whey! Reheated, skimmed, and drained, it became <\/span>ricotta<\/span>, literally \u201cre-cooked.\u201d While raviggiolo and pecorino are strictly sheep\u2019s milk, ricotta plays the field: sheep, cow, goat, you name it. Sweet or savory, it\u2019s the workhorse of Italian kitchens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrivederci, Pecorino!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the sun dipped low, we nibbled pecorino and sheep\u2019s-milk desserts, full and happy. Ilaria\u2019s final surprise? If our cheese passed muster, we\u2019d get an email in three months with shipping instructions.<\/p>\n

I wait for it still. Not goodbye, but arrivederci<\/em> (\u201cUntil we meet again\u201d). Because when it comes to cheese this good, parting is only temporary.<\/p>\n

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Lapo gives Maggie some cheese dough to begin the pecorino making process. Photo courtesy of the author.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Field Notes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n