Cheese (Pecorino Romano) [Fresco Pasta]

From: Fresco Pasta

Aged: 6 months

A cheese variety of what might be considered the earliest form of today’s Pecorino Romano was first created in the countryside around Rome, its method of production is described by Latin authors such as Varro and Pliny the Elder about 2,000 years ago. Its long-term storage capacity led to it be used for marching Roman legions’ rations. A daily ration of 27 grams was established to be given to the legionaries, as a supplement to the bread and farro soup. This cheese gave back strength and vigor to tired soldiers, giving them a high-energy food that was easy to digest. It was produced in Latium until 1884 when, due to the city council prohibiting salting the cheese in their shops in Rome, many Roman producers moved to Sardinia: the island, which had been experiencing a severe reduction of its forest cover as a direct result of human activity, provided the Roman entrepreneurs with a kind of soil that was ideal for the promotion of monoculture farming.