Pesto with Genovese basil, coarse salt, garlic, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil (Taggiasco), European pine nuts (sometimes toasted) and a grated cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano and pecorino sardo or pecorino romano. A proposal is under preparation by the Palatifini Association to have pesto alla genovese included in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. There is a biennial international Genovese Pesto al Mortaio competition in which 100 finalists use traditional mortars and pestles as well as the above ingredients which are then assessed by 30 local and international judges. A slightly different version of this sauce exists in Provence,
Pesto through a circular motion of a wooden pestle. This same Latin root, through Old French, also gave rise to the English noun "pestle". Strictly speaking, "pesto" is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding; that is why the word is used for several pestos in Italy. Nonetheless, "pesto alla genovese" ("Genoese pesto") remains the most popular pesto in Italy and the rest of the world. Pesto is thought to have two predecessors in ancient times, going back as far as the Roman age. The ancient Romans used to eat a similar paste called moretum, which was made