Pecorino cheese

You can offer dishes containing pecorino once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. The sodium content is high, though a taste now and then in a diet with variety is fine. Choose pasteurized pecorino to lower the risk of foodborne illness.

The name comes from pecora, the Italian word for sheep, and describes cheeses made from sheep's milk. Italy has seven kinds. Romano is hard and mostly grated. Sardo and Toscano can be soft or hard. It has a rich, salty taste and is a key ingredient in sauces such as cacio e pepe.

Salt and raw milk

The sodium level in pecorino is high. The quantity babies eat while learning to feed themselves is usually low, and some sodium is needed for electrolyte balance. Cooking a modest amount into a dish is fine within a diet that has variety.

Raw milk, which is unpasteurized, often goes into pecorino. To lower the risk of foodborne illness, pick one whose label says pasteurized.

How much to serve

Start small. Your baby shows wanting more by grunting, pointing or reaching. Stop when your baby shows they are done. You do not have to start with purées, and a suitably prepared version of your own meal works.

Pecorino can be hard and can turn into a sticky clump in the mouth. Both qualities raise the choking risk.

Prepare the cheese to suit your baby's age: grate it or cut a long flat slice. Avoid cubes and large pieces. Stay close while your baby eats and keep them upright.

Pecorino comes from sheep's milk, and it is a dairy food. Sheep's milk is usually not seen as as common an allergen as cow's milk. Still, dairy from animals like sheep, goat and buffalo can set off reactions like those to cow's milk. If your baby has a milk allergy, it often fades with time. Aged cheeses contain histamine, which can cause rashes in children sensitive to it.

Cow's milk is one of the foods that can cause FPIES (food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome). Sheep's milk and similar milks are best avoided by a baby whose FPIES is triggered by cow's milk. FPIES shows up as repeated vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating and can cause dehydration if untreated. With regular milk intake it can also look like reflux, weight loss and poor growth. FPIES that starts early usually clears by age 3 to 5.

Lactose intolerance is uncommon in babies but can be mistaken for allergy because of bloating, gas and diarrhea. Aged cheeses are low in lactose and are often better tolerated.

If you suspect a milk allergy, talk to an allergist before offering cheese. Give a small amount on its own the first few times. If there is no reaction, increase the portion.