Enjoyed since Roman times, Pecorino Romano continues to be produced in the same area it originated from, and according to the same natural procedure devised centuries ago. The only difference is that now the curdling, salting and maturing processes are carried out in the latest generation of dairies using advanced health and hygiene technology that meets all the necessary requirements to make the product fit for human consumption worldwide.

Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese made with fresh whole sheep’s milk from herds in the area of production (Sardegna, Latium and the municipality of Grosseto). It has a thin rind light ivory or yellow in colour. The body of the cheese is compact or has small holes and is either white or light or dark yellow, depending on the conditions at the time of production.

The Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano Cheese, established in November 1979 by a group of operators in Latium and Sardegna, promotes this product par excellence of Italian agrofood tradition. In January 1981 the Minister for Agriculture, together with the Minister for Industry, assigned the Consortium the task of supervising the manufacture and sale of the cheese. Since 2002, the consortium has also had the Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policy’s permission to oversee the general interests of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Pecorino Romano cheese.

The main purposes of the Consortium, as specified in the statute, include the protection and supervision of the manufacture and sale of Pecorino Romano, the protection of PDO on the national and international markets, the promotion of consumption and improvement in the quality of the product in collaboration with regional, national and community authorities and institutions. The consortium currently brings together 50 concerns (three in Latium and 47 in Sardegna). These are in the main small or medium-sized cooperative and industrial firms.

One of the main and most historic outlet markets for Pecorino Romano, the United States is now the main market it is exported to. In its bid to promote Pecorino cheese, the Consortium decided to undertake, particularly for upholding consumption on the strategic American market, targeted promotional campaigns such as the “Promo Quality Cheese”. The project, which started in New York in June 2007 with a workshop at the Summer Fancy Food Fair, will conclude in 2009 with a series of initiatives aimed at some of the main distribution chains in the United States. The Consortium will not take its eye off this market however when the campaign ends: new ventures are already being devised for the near future.