Pecorino Romano - Wikipedia

Hard, salty Italian cheese, often grated Not to be confused with Romano cheese.

Pecorino romano
Country of origin	Italy
Region	Lazio Sardinia Tuscany (province of Grosseto)
Source of milk	Sheep milk
Pasteurised	No (pasteurised exports to United States)
Texture	Hard and very crumbly
Aging time	5 months or more
Certification	PDO: 1996
Related media on Commons

Pecorino romano (Italian: [pekoˈriːnoroˈmaːno]) is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep milk, often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name pecorino means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian; the name of the cheese, although protected, is a description rather than a brand: [formaggio] pecorino romano means 'sheep's [cheese] of Rome'.

Although this variety of cheese originated in Lazio, nearly all of its actual production has moved to the island of Sardinia.[1] The name pecorino romano has a protected designation of origin (PDO) by European Union law, meaning all manufacturing processes must take place within either Sardinia, Lazio or the province of Grosseto.[2]

Pecorino romano was a staple in the diet of the legionaries of ancient Rome. Today, it is still made according to the original recipe and is one of Italy's oldest cheeses. On the first of May (May Day), Roman families traditionally eat pecorino with fresh fava beans during an excursion in the Roman Campagna. It is mostly used in central and southern Italy.

As of 2024[update], it is the fourth most exported Italian cheese, with 22,000 tons exported overseas annually.[3]

History

[edit]

What might be considered the earliest form of today's pecorino romano was first created in the countryside around Rome, whose production methods are described in detail by Latin authors such as Marcus Terentius Varro and Pliny the Elder about 2,000 years ago.[2] Its long-term storage capacity led to it being used for feeding Roman legions. A daily ration of about 27 grams (1 Roman ounce) was allotted to the legionaries in addition to bread and farro soup. The cheese revived strength and vigour since it was a high-energy food that was easy to digest.[4]

Pecorino romano was mainly produced in the region surrounding Rome (Lazio) until the end of the 19th century. In 1884, the Roman city council prohibited salting the cheese in the grocers' shops in Rome, but this could not prevent the establishment of salting premises and cheesemaking premises on the outskirts of Rome or elsewhere in the province. Pressure to move production out of Lazio was in fact caused by a great increase in demand for the cheese, which the Lazio flocks could not satisfy. This led several producers to expand their production in Sardinia.[4][5] Sardinia, which had been experiencing a severe reduction of its forest cover as a direct result of human activity, provided Roman entrepreneurs with a type of soil that was ideal for the promotion of monoculture farming.[6][7]

Following the 1951 Stresa Convention (fr), which was convened by several European states to address the question of counterfeiting and imitation of traditional food products, and the awarding in 1955 of the first denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) statuses in the dairy sector, pecorino cheese production was formally protected in Sardinia, Lazio, and Grosseto.[8]

In 1979, the Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese was established with headquarters in Macomer, a comune with several established cheese factories.[9] In 1981 the Consortium was tasked by the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise the production and trade of pecorino romano,[10] and in 2002 to protect its PDO status.[11]

Production

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Pecorino romano is a hard, cooked cheese produced exclusively from sheep milk. The milk is coagulated using rennet at a temperature between 38–40 °C (100–104 °F). Once the curd has hardened, it is broken into smaller curds the size of a grain of rice and cooked at a temperature no higher than 48 °C (118 °F).[12] Pecorino romano must be made with rennet from sheep raised in the same production area, and is consequently not suitable for vegetarians.[12]

The wheels are cylindrical with flat faces, with a height of 25–40 cm and a diameter of 25–35 cm, and weigh 20–35 kg (44–77 lb). They have a thin ivory-coloured rind which is sometimes covered with substances for food protection. They are stamped with the logo of geographical distinction and an indication of the province of origin.[13]

40% of produced pecorino romano is consumed domestically. More than half of international exports are destined for the United States.[14]

See also

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• List of Italian cheeses
• List of Italian DOP cheeses – food with protected designation of origin status
• List of sheep milk cheeses
• List of ancient dishes
• Pecorino – hard Italian sheep's milk cheese

References

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1. ^ Damiana Verucci (18 October 2016). "Lazio contro Sardegna, scoppia la guerra del pecorino romano" [Lazio against Sardinia, the Roman pecorino war breaks out]. Il Tempo (in Italian).
2. ^ a b "Pecorino Romano DOP". agraria.org (in Italian). Istruzione Agraria online. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
3. ^ "I migliori formaggi Italiani: i formaggi tipici e più famosi" [The best Italian cheeses: the most typical and famous cheeses]. Bell Italia (in Italian). 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
4. ^ a b Pecorino Romano: The Story Behind One of Italy’s Oldest and Most Famous Formaggi, Italy Magazine
5. ^ "IL FORMAGGIO DI SARDEGNA - Fiore Sardo Pecorino Sardo Pecorino Romano Canestrati Ricotta Formaggi Molli Formaggi di capra". Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007. La grande svolta del caseificio la si ha poco più tardi, in conseguenza di due fatti esterni alle cose sarde ma destinati a segnare profondamente la zootecnia ed il caseificio sardo. Nel 1884, il Sindaco di Roma vieta ai "Pizzicaroli" di salare il formaggio pecorino il "Romano" appunto, nei loro retrobottega. La cosa non fu da poco; i "Pizzicaroli" per un verso organizzano alla periferia della città le prime cantine di salagione, accanto alle qualisorgono poi i primi centri di caseificazione, ma per un altro verso resistono in giudizio contro l'ordinanza del Comune di Roma perdendo però la causa. Il formaggio Pecorino Romano in quegli anni conosce una grande espansione dei consumi, al punto che il latte delle greggi laziali non è in grado di soddisfarla. I "Pizzicaroli" sbarcano nell'isola per organizzare la produzione di quel Pecorino Romano che non riescono più a produrre in proprio. In questo e non in altro sta la spiegazione del fatto che il formaggio maggiormente prodotto in Sardegna si chiami Formaggio Pecorino Romano.
6. ^ Alberto Maria Delogu (18 April 2019). "Consumiamo il latte di pecora: è quello più sano". La Nuova Sardegna. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
7. ^ Irene Melis. "Sardegna arida? Era ricca di boschi, l'hanno devastata". Globalist.it. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
8. ^ "Decreto del presidente della repubblica 30 ottobre 1955, n. 1269" [Decree of the President of the Republic, 30 October 1955]. Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana (in Italian). 30 October 1955. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
9. ^ Oggianu, Francesco (21 May 2017). "Macomer, caseifici aperti nella capitale del formaggio" [Macomer: dairies are open in the capital of cheese] (in Italian). Retrieved 3 September 2025.
10. ^ "Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana" (in Italian). 8 May 1981. p. 2950. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
11. ^ "Decreto 24 aprile 2002". Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana (in Italian). 24 April 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
12. ^ a b "Il Disciplinare di Produzione" (PDF). pecorinoromano.com. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
13. ^ "Characteristics". Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
14. ^ "Pecorino Romano PDO Exports Soar Amid Fears of US Tariffs". ItalianFOOD.net. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pecorino romano.

• Production requirements (in Italian)
• Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Pecorino Romano (Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese) (in Italian)

v t e Italian cheeses
PDO	Asiago Bra Burrata di Andria Caciocavallo Casciotta d'Urbino Castelmagno Fontina Formaggio di fossa Formai de Mut dell'Alta Valle Brembana Gorgonzola Grana (cheese) Grana Padano Montasio Monte Veronese Buffalo mozzarella Parmigiano Reggiano Pecorino Pecorino di Filiano Pecorino romano Pecorino sardo Pecorino siciliano Pecorino toscano Piave Provolone Quartirolo Ragusano Raschera Salva Squacquerone di Romagna Silter Spressa delle Giudicarie Taleggio Fromadzo Valtellina Casera
PAT	Bastardo del Grappa Bela Badia Canestrato Casàda Mascarpone Morlacco Padraccio Pecorino di Carmasciano Prescinsêua Ricotta forte Ricotta di fuscella Rosa Camuna Scamorza Stracciata Toma Toma Piemontese Tyrolean grey cheese Vezzena
PGI	Burrata di Andria Canestrato di Moliterno
TSG	Mozzarella
Non-protectedvarieties	Bel Paese Bocconcini Brös Burrata Cacio figurato Caciotta Calcagno Caprino Casizolu Casu martzu Crucolo Crutin Dolcelatte Galbanino Moliterno Pallone di Gravina Provatura Ricotta Robiola Sottocenere al tartufo Stracchino Stracciatella di bufala
Manufacturers	Auricchio Granarolo Parmalat Sterilgarda