Q: Cheeses are made from the milk of cows, sheep and goats, common domestic animals. Why not pigs?

A: Mostly, the no-pig’s-cheese situation is a matter of output and the economics associated with it. Although their milk is rich with butterfat, pigs aren’t productive milkers, their daily output not enough to turn cheese making into a profitable endeavor. While cows generate an average of 65 pounds of milk each day, pigs produce about 13 pounds. It also is much more difficult to milk a pig than other mammals. They have 14 teats (cows have four) and the spurts of milk come in short, fast bursts making it a feat of nearly insurmountable proportions.

Pig’s milk cheese, called porcherino, is said to be made by a few families in the Tuscan region of Italy although it is not sold.