🧀 Pecorino Romano
Also known as: Pecorino Romano DOP, Pecorino Romano PDO
Pecorino Romano is a hard, cooked Italian PDO cheese made from fresh whole sheep's milk in Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto, ripened at least 5 months (8 for grating).
Pecorino Romano is a hard, cooked Italian cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), made exclusively from fresh whole sheep's milk. Milk production, cheesemaking and ripening must take place in the whole of Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto. 3
How it is made. According to the specification, at least 50% of the dry matter in the ewes' feed must come from the area over the year. The milk may be thermised and inoculated with native lactic cultures, which may be supplemented with strains from the production area. It is coagulated with lamb rennet from animals reared and slaughtered in the area. Salting may be dry or in brine. Production runs from October to July. 3
Ripening. At least 5 months for table cheese and at least 8 months for grating cheese. After at least 18 months it may be sold as Riserva, if it was made between December and March of the dairy year and contains no more than 4% salt (sodium chloride) at that age. 3
Look and taste. A cylinder with flat faces, 25–35 cm across, weighing 20–35 kg. The rind is soft, ivory or straw-coloured, and may be coated with neutral, black or brown food-grade protective substances. The paste is compact or slightly open, white to straw-coloured; fat in the dry matter is above 36%. The table cheese is aromatic with mild pungency; when well matured it is pungent, intense and pleasant. 3
Labelling. The heel is stamped with the name, the official mark (a rhombus with a stylised sheep's head), a square with the province letters and the producer code, and the month and year of production. A territorial mark ("Pecorino Romano from Lazio", "produced in Sardinia" or "produced in Grosseto") may be added only if the whole production cycle takes place there. 3
The name has been registered in the EU as a PDO since 1996 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96). According to the specification, Latin authors such as Columella, Virgil, Varro and Pliny the Elder described the cheese. 23
Why it matters to you. Choose by age: the table cheese is mildly pungent, and well-matured cheese is intense 3. Despite the name, it is made not only in Lazio but also in Sardinia and the province of Grosseto 3. The rind may be coated with protective substances or preservatives, so read the label before eating it 3.
Facts
| Raw material | Fresh whole sheep's milk, lamb rennet 3 |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy 1 |
| Region | Sardinia, Lazio, province of Grosseto 3 |
| Duration | Table at least 5 months; grating at least 8; Riserva at least 18 3 |
| Taste | Table: aromatic, mildly pungent; well matured: pungent, intense 3 |
| Legal basis | EU PDO since 21 June 1996, Regulation (EC) No 1107/96, PDO-IT-0017 12 |
What it includes
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Pecorino Romano ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Sheep's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧫 Rennet, 🧂 Salt, 🧫 Starter culture
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians, 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🧀 Pecorino, 🇮🇹 Italian cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Pecorino Siciliano, 🧀 Pecorino Sardo
Frequently asked questions
Where can Pecorino Romano be made?
In the whole of Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto. Milk production, cheesemaking and ripening must take place there.
How long is Pecorino Romano ripened?
At least 5 months as a table cheese and at least 8 months for grating; Riserva is ripened for at least 18 months.
What milk is used for Pecorino Romano?
Only fresh whole sheep's milk.
Is it true that Pecorino Romano is made only near Rome?
No. The area covers all of Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto, and a place reference may be added only if the whole cycle took place there.
Can you eat the rind of Pecorino Romano?
It depends on the cheese: the rind may be coated with protective substances or preservatives. Read the label.
What to read next
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians — The people of Italy; their cuisine rests on wine, olive oil and cheese, and in 2025 the country made 44.4 million hectolitres of wine, the most in the world.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🧫 Starter culture — A culture of lactic acid bacteria that ferments milk.
- 🧀 Pecorino Siciliano — Pecorino Siciliano is an Italian PDO cheese from Sicily made from raw whole sheep's milk, sold fresh, semi-aged or aged (at least 4 months).
Similar
🧀 Fiore Sardo · 🧀 Pecorino Siciliano · 🧀 Bitto · 🧀 Grana Padano · 🧀 Istarski ovčji sir · 🧀 Idiazabal
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- eAmbrosia — Pecorino Romano (PDO-IT-0017)
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 — OJ L 148, 21.6.1996
- Single document, standard amendment PDO-IT-0017-AM01 — OJ C/2026/4125, 2.9.2026
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1030/2009, consolidated summary — OJ L 283, 30.10.2009