Ragusano is one of the older and more classic Sicilian cheeses, and is quite impressive to look at -- this block was close to two feet (about 50 cm) long, and I'm not sure how much it weighed, though they range between 20 and 30 pounds (10-15 k).

The dent mid-way down the left side of the cheese is from the rope that was used to hang it over a pole (there was another cheese tied to the other end, and Ragusano was once called caciocavallo Ragusano, Ragusano cheese astride a pole, because of the way it was set to age.

Ragusano is a pulled curd cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk from cattle that graze the Altopiano Ibleo in southwestern Sicily, and can be either fairly fresh or more aged, at which point it becomes somewhat sharper. This one is fairly well aged, and would be nice with a red wine, say a Nero D'Avola, which is also from that part of Sicily.

Today's Lenten Recipe is Salt Roasted Salmon with Herbs, Salmone Agli Aromi

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