Pecorino Romano: All Secrets Unveiled

Pecorino Romano is one of the most exported Italian cheeses to the United State of America and other parts of the world. There is a reason why everyone loves Pecorino Romano – it has a rich history of being very nutritious and delicious.

Pecorino Romano is a delicious cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is one of the best Italian cheese with a Protracted Designation of Origin. The cheese is sheep milk cheese that is always present in four of Rome’s signature pasta dishes. The color of this hard cheese ranges from white to straw yellow.

The history of Pecorino Romano is rich so, you want to know a bit about it. In this blog post, we are discussing everything you need to know about Pecorino Romano. If you want to know more about this cheese, read on.

In Between Rome And Sardinia

Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese made from sheep's milk. It is one of the oldest cheeses in Italy and its origins date back to the Roman Empire. The word Pecorino was derived from the Italian “Pecora” meaning 'sheep', which is from the Latin “pecus” meaning livestock.

The word "Romano" derives from the region of Rome where it originated. This cheese is an excellent source of calcium, protein and phosphorus. Pecorino Romano was mentioned in Ancient Rome’s written works such as De Agri Cultura and Vigil by Cato the Censor (234 BC to 149 BC).

In De Re Rustica written by Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (4 AD to 70 AD), he described the methods used to make Pecorino Romano cheese, making the writeup the first written Pecorino Romano specifications ever.

Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese that is made from sheep’s milk. It has a strong, sharp and salty taste. It is a product of the Lazio, Sardinia and Tuscany regions of Italy. In Rome, it was traditionally served as an antipasto to accompany wine and bread or fruit.

Today, sheep supplying the rennet used to make this product must come from either Lazio, Sardinia or the province of Grosseto. The production procedure, including the rearing of sheep, processing and aging must take place in the designated places.

Nowadays, more than 95% of Pecorino Romano cheese being produced is made in Sardinia. The production factory (Supervisory Consortium of Pecorino Romano) is located in Nuoro province in Sardinia.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry tasked the Consortium to supervise the PDO Pecorino Romano cheese production and marketing in 1981. Today, the Consortium works with the Italian government, European Union and the regions where Pecorino Romano is being produced.

While more than 95% of Pecorino Romano is being made in Sardinia, some manufacturers are still making the cheese based on the laid down techniques.

How Is Pecorino Romano Made
Pecorino Romano cheese is made from sheep milk reared in a wild state and grazed on uncontaminated pastures filled with aromatic herbs. Once the milk enters the processing facilities, it is weighed and can be processed raw or heated to 680C for a maximum of 15 seconds. The process is known as thermisation.

Then the milk is poured into the coagulation tanks and scotta innesto is added. Scotta innesto is natural starter culture of thermophilic bacteria used by cheese makers according to the old tradition. Then rennet from rennet lamb paste is added. The temperature is raised to between 38 °C and 40 °C to make the milk curdle.

After the curd has become consistent, it is broken into grains of wheat grain sizes. The grains are cooked at 480C maximum and the cheese paste is hard-pressed to release its excess liquid and put in cylindrical molds at humid hot temperature.

When it is cooled, the cheese is marked for quality (PDO) with the heel of the cheese being stamped with a PDO mark. The next stage is salting, using the traditional techniques or brined for 70 days at least. The cheese remains in a humid room of 120C temperature.

The cheese is moved to colder rooms of 100C. for the cheese to reach its aromaticity and sapidity, salt is applied to its wheel three to four times more. Then the cheese is left to age for at least 5 months for table cheese or 8 to 10 months for grate cheese.

How To Eat Cheese In A Delicious Way

Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese that is made from sheep milk. It is a type of cheese that is traditionally served as an appetizer with pasta or other dishes.

The best way to eat Pecorino Romano Cheese is by cutting it into thin slices and having it with some good bread and wine.

While pecorino is usually eaten as a grating cheese, young pecorino is delicious with pancetta and broad beans. The cheese is present in most Roman traditional cuisine such as spaghetti Carbonara, Bucatini all’amatriciana, pasta alla Gricia and Tonnarelli pasta with pepper and cheese.

Pecorino Romano cheese can be eaten alone or grated on your dish to add flavor and taste. If you want to take your pasta and tomato dish to the next level, add Pecorino Romano. You can also use it in dishes such as salads, stews, soups, pizza, patties and meatballs as well as pasta dishes.

The Bottom Line
Pecorino Romano is a versatile cheese and can be used in many dishes. The method of producing the cheese is easy and healthy. This cheese is delicious and can add both taste and flavor to any dish. If you have never tried Pecorino romano cheese before, it is time to try it and see how delicious the popular cheese is.