The significance of this cheese’s name is much debated. According to some, ‘Piacentinu’ means ‘cheese that pleases (piace)’, whilst others claim it means ‘cheese that weeps (piange)’ due to the fact that drops of serum are sometimes present in the fresh forms. It could also mean a cheese ‘to be ripened’ like the northern Italy hard cheeses, since ‘piacentino’ was the traditional name given those cheeses. In fact, although the current trend is to eat it fresh, Piacentinu Ennese is well adapted to a lengthy ripening process. Its most obvious characteristic is the abundant addition of wild saffron to the curd, giving it a unique colour and flavour. The sheep used for its production feed mainly on vetch, a leguminous plant, which confers its own distinctive flavour to the milk.
