Description
Ricotta Romana PDO is a fresh milk product obtained with whole sheep’s milk whey obtained from animals belonging to the Sarda, Comisana, Sopravissana and Massese breeds and their cross-breeds, originating from the Lazio region and pasture-grazed or fed on forage that grows in the region.
Production Area
The production area of Ricotta Romana PDO is within the entire territory of the Lazio region.
Production Method
The sheep’s milk whey, without the addition of acidulants, is heated at a temperature of between 50-60°C and maintained at a light simmer. During this stage, up to 15% (of the total volume of the whey) of sheep’s milk may be added. Further heating to a temperature of 85-90°C promotes the forming and curdling of the whey protein, which rises to the surface in the form of small flakes. The solidification of the flakes in layers on the surface occurs by stopping the heating process for about five minutes. The layers of flakes are separated from the excess liquid, known as the “scotta”, and the ricotta is collected and put in perforated straw conical-ended moulds for 8-24 hours, which stimulates further purging of the whey. The drained product is left to dry in a cool place, at a temperature of about 4°C.
Appearance and Flavour
Ricotta Romana PDO is white and lumpy with a characteristic sweet milky flavour.
History
The origins of Ricotta Romana PDO date back to ancient times. As Cato wrote in his works referring to the regulations for sheep farming in the Roman Republic, sheep’s milk had numerous functions, from religious/sacrificial to nourishment, either as a drink or transformed into cheese or ricotta, for which the excess whey was used. There are numerous historical documents testifying to the diffusion of ricotta as a common food. Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, a Roman writer on agricultural in the 1st century BC, describes the various methods of obtaining this product in his book, De re rustica. In 1903, in his book Usi e costumi della campagna romana, Ercole Metalli recounts how at the beginning of the 1900s ricotta was still practically the only food source for the shepherds in Lazio. In the same book, he also describes the production techniques for ricotta and the widespread habit of eating it with bread. Later on, according to what Mauro Vizzardi and Piero Maffeis wrote in Formaggi Italiani (1990), ricotta originated from Ager Romanus, but its diffusion was thanks to Saint Francis of Assisi, who in 1223 taught the specific production processes to shepherds in the Lazio area.
Gastronomy
Ricotta Romana PDO can be kept for a few days at 4-5°C. It can be eaten on its own or used as an ingredient in several delicacies and fillings. It is particularly good with rye bread, dill bread or home-made bread. The product is usually served with local light white wines or rosés, such as Circeo Rosato PDO or Colli della Sabina PDO.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Ricotta Romana PDO. It is sold year-round in cone-ended plastic baskets weighing between 250 g and 2 kg. It can also be sold wrapped in parchment or in plastic containers and/or vacuum-packed.
Distinctive Features
The sheep’s particular diet, which mainly consists of typical grassland and pastures in the geographical production area, influences the quantity of lactose in the milk whey (no less than 3,55 %). This gives Ricotta Romana PDO the sweetish flavour that distinguishes it.
