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Cheese from Italy, Lazio

Ricotta Romana PDO

A boundary entry, set by heat rather than by microbes. Whey from whole Lazio sheep milk cheeses is reheated without acid; at 50–60 °C up to 15 % whole sheep milk may be added, and at 85–90 °C the whey proteins rise as white flakes. The flakes are scooped into conical baskets (fuscelle) to drain 8–24 hours and sold fresh a few hours after making.

Fully documentedCheese8.1 h – 24 hPDO (EU), Reg. (EC) No 737/2005; amended 2010 (Reg. (EU) No 1192/2010 of 16 December 2010) and 2026 (C/2026/4828)Family: Whey cheese (heat-precipitated whey protein) family

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceAmounts are shares of the whey volume, as fixed by the specification.
Whey from whole sheep milk cheeses made in LazioWhey with at least 5.37 % non-fat solids, 1.09 % protein, 0.35 % fat and 3.55 % lactose[rom-2010][rom-2026]
Whole sheep milk of the listed breeds, added at 50–60 °C (optional)up to 15 % of the whey volume[rom-2004][rom-2010][rom-2026]
No acidity correctors[rom-2004][rom-2010]
Starternone; a heat-set whey product

Total time across the recorded steps: 8.1 h – 24 h

Start
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What changes: Starting material: whey drained from Lazio sheep cheese curd

Step 1 of 5
Collect the sheep whey
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

A boundary entry, set by heat rather than by microbes. Whey from whole Lazio sheep milk cheeses is reheated without acid; at 50–60 °C up to 15 % whole sheep milk may be added, and at 85–90 °C the whey proteins rise as white flakes. The flakes are scooped into conical baskets (fuscelle) to drain 8–24 hours and sold fresh a few hours after making. Made in 5 steps over 8.1 h – 24 h. The longest step, drain in fuscelle, takes 8–24 h (European Commission 2004).

Key numbers
Main step8–24 hSet[rom-2004]Drain in fuscelle
Temperature50–60 °CSet[rom-2004][rom-2010][rom-2026]Reheat and add milk

What makes this one different

Made only from the whey of whole Lazio sheep milk, reheated without any acid added, so it stays sweet. It is heat-set, not fermented, and sold within hours.

Fat
Fat at least 40 % of dry matter (changed in 2010 from the registered 17–29 %)
Weight
Up to 2 kg, with a 10 % tolerance since 2026

Related ferments

Safety

A fresh product that does not ripen and spoils quickly, so it is packed in the area and sold a few hours after making.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Market reports of the chambers of commerce of Rome (1922–65), Viterbo, Frosinone and Latina record Ricotta Romana, and Trinchieri described its making in 1953. The 2026 amendment added four sheep breeds.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [rom-2004] European Commission 2004, publication of an application for registration 'Ricotta Romana', OJ C 30, 4.2.2004 (CELEX 52004XC0204(02)), via publications.europa.euspec
  2. [rom-2010] European Commission 2010, publication of an amendment application and single document 'Ricotta Romana', OJ C 101, 20.4.2010 (CELEX 52010XC0420(04)), via publications.europa.euspec
  3. [rom-2026] European Commission 2026, communication of approval of a standard amendment 'Ricotta Romana' PDO-IT-0298-AM01, OJ C, C/2026/4828, 17.9.2026, via publications.europa.euspec
  4. [reg-1192-2010] European Commission 2010, Commission Regulation (EU) No 1192/2010 of 16 December 2010 approving non-minor amendments to the specification for 'Ricotta Romana' (PDO), OJ L 333, 17.12.2010, p. 21, via publications.europa.euspec