Pecorino Romano PDO

Description

Pecorino Romano PDO is a hard cooked cheese, produced with whole sheep’s milk from free range herds which graze on natural pasture.

Production Area

The production area of Pecorino Romano PDO is within the entire territory of the regions of Lazio and Sardinia, and the Province of Grosseto, in the Tuscany region.

Production Method

The milk is filtered and heat treated at a maximum temperature of 68 °C for at least 15 seconds, in order to eliminate micro-organisms that may hinder the cheese-making process. The milk is then transferred into curdling vats, where a starter enzyme known as “scotta-innesto” is usually added; this is made with a method that has been passed down through the generations. This starter is one of the characteristic elements of Pecorino Romano PDO, and is formed by a group of native thermophilic lactic acid bacteria. The milk curdles at a temperature of between 38 and 40 °C, with the addition of lamb rennet paste. The curd is broken into small grains and the mass is cooked at 45-48 °C. After cooling, the cheese is branded and either dry salted or salted in brine. Once ripened, Pecorino Romano PDO can be put on the market as table cheese after five months, and after eight months for grating cheese. Pecorino Romano PDO is produced between October and July.

Appearance and Flavour

Pecorino Romano PDO has a cylindrical shape with flat surfaces, a diameter of between 25 and 35 cm, and a height ranging from 25 to 40 cm; the weight varies from 20 to 35 kg, depending on the size of the wheel. The rind is thin and ivory to straw-yellow in colour; the cheese is white or pale straw-yellow, firm or with a few eyes. The aroma is characteristic and the table cheese (aged for five months) has an aromatic and slightly piquant flavour; the more mature cheese for grating (aged for eight months) has an intense and pleasant piquant flavour.

History

The origins of Pecorino Romano PDO date back to the Roman Empire: the processing method, which is very similar to that used today, was described by Varrone, Columella (De Agricultura), Virgil (The Georgics) and Pliny the Elder. In 227 BC, Pecorino Romano PDO also started spreading across Sardinia, which offered the same environmental and farming conditions.

Gastronomy

Pecorino Romano PDO should be kept in a cool, dry place, wrapped in its original packaging. The cheese ripened for five months is an excellent table cheese, particularly when combined with fresh vegetables and fruit. After eight months of ripening, it is mainly used as a grated cheese to add flavour to characteristic Roman dishes, such as Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe and Tripe alla Romana.

Marketing

The product is marketed as Pecorino Romano PDO. It is sold year-round in the following typologies: “da tavola” (table cheese) and “da grattugia” (to grate cheese). It is sold whole, in wedges, in pieces, in pre-packed slices and grated. The heel must bear the Protected Designation of Origin and logo, the seal of the province and the cheese producer, and the month and year of production.

Distinctive Features

One of three additional indications can be used with the Pecorino Romano PDO designation: Lazio Sardegna and Grosseto, on the condition that the entire production process takes place in the indicated geographic area. Each of the three areas has a logo that can be displayed alongside the logo of the designation. Thanks to the minimum of 5 months ripening, it is naturally lactose-free.