Romano cheese

Romano cheese is a type of cheese that is known for being very hard, salty and sharp. It is usually grated. It is different from normal cheeses because it requires more milk per pound, most water being lost in the process.

There are different types of romano cheese. True romano cheese is made from sheep's milk (pecorino romano) or goat's milk (caprino romano), though mass produced versions, as in the United States, are often made from cow's milk (vacchino romano). Pecorino romano is sharp and tangy. Caprino romano, the goat's milk version, has an extremely sharp taste. Vacchino romano is very mild in taste. Most of the romano cheeses made in the United States are made from cow's milk or with a mix of cow's milk and either sheep or goat milk.

Romano cheese is made by a special method called "rummaging curd" which involves draining the curd quickly after molding. The surface is then pierced slightly before the cheese is salted. The cheese should age for five months before eating, and if the cheese is to be grated. Romano cheese has a fat content of 27%, and a water content of 32%.

This cheese is named after Rome itself, where it has been made for over two thousand years, originally in the region of Latium. It is one of the oldest Italian cheeses.

Romano in Popular Culture

• In the cartoon Sealab 2021, when Murphy's body is being controlled by a mouse, he states that romano is a hard cheese for a hard journey.