Quick Answer: Boar's Head Pecorino Romano won America's Test Kitchen's blind tasting. Locatelli is the classic. Best value: Kirkland Signature at Costco (about $11/lb). To slice for guests, a milder Pecorino Toscano.
Our top picks
Pecorino Romano is the salty, sheep's-milk grating cheese of Rome. On a board it works in small shards next to something sweet, and the brand matters more than you'd think.
All 6 picks
Prices are store listings checked November 2026; supermarket prices vary by store.
Best overall
Boar's Head Pecorino Romano
- Milk
- Sheep
- Aged
- 8+ months
- From
- Sardinia, Italy
Why it's here: America's Test Kitchen's winner: rich, deeply savory and crunchy with salt crystals, and the saltiest cheese in the lineup. Easy to find at deli counters.
Watch out: The wheels are DOP, but wedges cut and repacked in the US can't carry the seal.
Why we picked it (sources)
ATK's tasting notes, aging and origin (America’s Test Kitchen).
Best-known import
Locatelli Pecorino Romano
- Milk
- Sheep
- Aged
- 9+ months
- Seal
- DOP
Why it's here: Locatelli is a brand, not a style: imported Sardinian Pecorino Romano that ATK's tasters found briny, robust and almost meaty.
Watch out: Very salty; serve thin shards, not cubes.
Why we picked it (sources)
ATK tasted it among its recommended imports (America’s Test Kitchen).
Best value
Kirkland Signature Pecorino Romano
- Milk
- Sheep
- Aged
- 9+ months
- Size
- About 2 lb wedge
Why it's here: Real sheep's-milk Pecorino Romano from Sardinia, aged over nine months, for about $11 a pound: roughly half what a cheese shop charges for an import.
Watch out: Two pounds is a lot. Keep it in cheese paper, or grate and freeze what you won't use in a month or two.
Why we picked it (sources)
Costco prices from Warehouse Runner ($10.99 to $11.69 a pound across 540 warehouses).
Best budget import
Pecorino Romano by Zerto
- Milk
- Sheep
- Aged
- 9 months
- Seal
- DOP
Why it's here: ATK's Best Buy: lots of crunchy crystals and a little more subdued than the other imports, so it suits people new to sheep's-milk cheese.
Watch out: A bit mild in cooked pasta.
Why we picked it (sources)
ATK's tasting (America’s Test Kitchen).
Best splurge
Genuine Fulvi Pecorino Romano
- Milk
- Sheep
- From
- Lazio, Italy
- Aged
- 10 to 12 months
Why it's here: Made in Lazio, the cheese's home region, while most Pecorino Romano now comes from Sardinia. ATK found it grassy and fruity with a kick, and the Philadelphia Inquirer's cheese columnist named it the best he'd had lately.
Watch out: The black rind is food-safe paint; scrape it off before grating.
Why we picked it (sources)
America’s Test Kitchen; Philadelphia Inquirer; price from Gourmet Food Store.
Best for slicing on a board
Pecorino Toscano DOP
- Milk
- Sheep
- From
- Tuscany
- Texture
- Semi-firm
Why it's here: Romano is mainly a grating cheese. Toscano is younger and gentler; igourmet calls it the most approachable of the pecorinos and a natural with cured meats and Chianti.
Watch out: Too mild for cacio e pepe; it's a table cheese.
Why we picked it (sources)
igourmet's pecorino guide (igourmet).
Romano vs Pecorino Romano, and how to serve it
- Read the label. “Pecorino Romano” is Italian sheep's milk. Plain “Romano” made in the US is cow's milk, younger and much milder; ATK's tasters preferred every import.
- On a board break it into thin shards, under 1 oz per person, and put honey, pears or fig jam right next to it.
- For nibbling buy Pecorino Toscano; for grating over pasta or a board salad, Romano.
- Drink: Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or a dry Lambrusco.
- Storage: wrap in cheese paper. Hard cheeses like this keep for weeks in the fridge.
More hard cheeses: the best Parmesan and the best Manchego. Or compare the two sheep's-milk classics in Manchego vs pecorino.
Pecorino Romano questions
What is the best Pecorino Romano brand?
Boar's Head won America's Test Kitchen's blind tasting, with Locatelli, Zerto and Fulvi close behind. Kirkland Signature at Costco is the best value.
Is Locatelli real Pecorino Romano?
Yes. Locatelli is a brand of imported sheep's-milk Pecorino Romano DOP from Sardinia, not a different cheese.
What's the difference between Romano and Pecorino Romano?
Pecorino Romano is a protected Italian sheep's-milk cheese, usually aged 8 months or more. American Romano is usually cow's milk, younger and milder.
Is Pecorino Romano good on a charcuterie board?
In small amounts, yes: thin shards with honey or pears. For a milder slicing cheese, use Pecorino Toscano.
How much Pecorino Romano per person?
Less than 1 oz per person. It's very salty.
How we picked these, and sources
We used America's Test Kitchen's blind tasting of seven Romano and Pecorino Romano cheeses, a Philadelphia Inquirer cheese column, igourmet's pecorino guide and store listings for price. Checked November 2, 2026.
- America's Test Kitchen: the best Pecorino Romano (blind tasting of 7)
- Philadelphia Inquirer: Cheese of the Month, Pecorino Romano
- igourmet: Pecorino Romano vs. Toscano vs. Sardo
- Warehouse Runner: Kirkland Signature Pecorino Romano at Costco
- Gourmet Food Store: Sini Fulvi Pecorino Romano
For the sweet partner, see the best honey for cheese. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
