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Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese, suitable
primarily for grating, made out of sheep milk (the Italian word pecora,
from which the name derives, means sheep). |
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Left: Pecorino
Romano. |
Pecorino Romano cheese, whose method of production was first
described by Latin authors like Varro and Pliny the Elder about 2000 years ago,
was first created in the countryside around Rome.
Pecorino Romano was a staple in the diet for the legionaries of ancient Rome.
Today, it is still made according to the original recipe and is one of Italy's
oldest cheeses. It is used mostly in Central and
Southern Italy.
Pecorino Romano is most often used on
pasta dishes, like the better-known
Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan). Its distinctive aromatic, pleasantly sharp, very
salty flavour means that in Italian cuisine, it is preferred for some pasta
dishes with highly-flavoured sauces, especially those of Roman origin, such as
bucatini all'amatriciana. The sharpness depends on the period of maturation,
which varies from five months for a table cheese to at least eight months for a
grating cheese.
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