This cheese is as ancient as the world itself. The legionaries of ancient Rome ate a daily ration of farro soup, a chunk of bread, and 27 grams of Pecorino Romano, a regulated diet that gave them the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins to traverse an empire that spanned from the North to the Mediterranean seas.
It captured the minds and hearts of many a Roman poet, philosopher, and writer, including Columella, Pliny the Elder, Varro, and Virgil, who not only admired the merits of this cheese, but also documented the techniques for its making — which, curiously enough, are not so different from how we make Pecorino Romano today.
How It’s Made
Pecorino Romano is made from the raw milk of female sheep, also known as ewe.
“Raw” as in unpasteurized — pasteurization takes place at too high a temperature, which can cause thermal damage that worsens the quality of the milk.
Instead, the milk is thermized by being heated to 149°F (65°C), give or take, for about 10 to 15 seconds to reduce the number of spoilage bacteria without altering its aroma and flavor.
