Pecorino Romano DOP

Facts About the Cheese

Certification: EU: PDO 1996

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Texture: Hard and very crumbly

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Source of Milk: Sheep

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Pasteurized: Yes

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Region: Lazio, Sardinia, and Tuscany

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Aging Time: From 5 months to more than 8 months

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Pecorino Romano is offered at 2 different ages serving two different purposes:

• Table Cheese (a minimum maturation period of 5 months)
• Grating Cheese (a minimum maturation period of 8 months)

Tasting Notes

Pecorino Romano DOP is characterized by the absence of lactose and galactose and the presence of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is also rich in calcium and phosphorus.

Pecorino Romano DOP should be kept in a cool, dry place, wrapped in its original packaging.

Pair Me With

Pecorino Romano DOP is an energizing cheese that is easily digestible.

The Aged Pecorino Romano DOP is famous for the preparation of typical recipes of Roman cuisine such as Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe and the Trippa alla romana. As table cheese ( ripened for five months) it combines well with fresh vegetables and fruit.

On the first of May, Roman families traditionally eat Pecorino Romano with fresh fava beans during a daily excursion in the Roman Campagna.

Curiosity

Pecorino Romano simply means "sheep's [cheese] of Rome”. It is one of the most ancient cheeses in the world that existed for more than two thousand years. Today, it is still made according to the original recipe.

In the imperial palaces it was a prized dressing at banquets. It was also a staple in the diet for the legionaries of ancient Rome. as a supplement to the bread and farro soup. This cheese gave back strength and vigour to tired soldiers, giving them a high-energy food that was easy to digest.

The original archetype of the current Pecorino Romano DOP was first created in the upper Agro Romano region. But although the surroundings of Rome were the place where the process originated from, at the end of the 19th century Sardinia became the biggest producer.

The innesto is one of the defining characteristics of Pecorino Romano PDO and it consists of a group of indigenous thermophilic lactic bacteria with strains from the production area. Once added, the milk coagulates at a temperature between 38°C and 40°C (100°F and 104°F) using lamb’s rennet in paste form only obtained from animals raised in the same area of production of the cheese

Pecorino Romano is mostly used in Central and Southern Italy.

About the Consortium

The Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese was established in November 1979 by a group of interested parties from Lazio and Sardinia to oversee the production and trade of Pecorino Romano. Since 28th April 2002 the Consortium has been granted the further task of safeguarding its protected designation of origin (DOP) status by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Goals of the Consortium include protection and oversight of the production and marketing of Pecorino Romano, protection of the name in Italy and abroad, as well as increasing consumption and improving the quality of the product, all in collaboration with regional, national and EU entities and institutions.

Credits

Main content, images, and video by the The Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese.