Parmigiano-Reggiano is a grana, a hard, granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma and Reggio Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is widely described by connoisseurs as the king of cheeses.
Parmesan is the common term for any cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. The word parmesan is derived from French referring to the original Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, such as Grana Padano, a hard, grainy Italian cheese close to Parmigiano Reggiano.
Production
Parmigiano Reggiano is made from raw cow's milk, collected immediately after milking and partly skimmed by gravity.
Traditionally, cows have to be fed only on grass or hay, producing grass fed beef. Only natural whey culture is (allegedly) allowed as a starter, together with calf rennet. The only additive allowed is salt. The product is aged an average of two years. The cheese is produced daily, and it can show a natural variability. True Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese has a complex fruity/nutty taste with a slightly gritty texture.
The average Parmigiano Reggiano wheel is about 18-24 cm (7 to 9 inches) high, 40-45 cm (16 to 18 inches) in diameter, and weighs an average of 38 kg (80 pounds).
Uses of the cheese include being grated over pasta, stirred into soup and risotto, and eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. It is also a key ingredient in alfredo sauce and pesto.
History
According to the legend, the Parmigiano was created in the course of the Middle Ages in Bibbiano, in the province of Reggio Emilia. Its production soon spread to the Parma and Modena areas. Historical documents show that in the 13th-14th century Parmigiano was already very similar to that produced today: this suggest that its origins can be traced far before.
It was praised as early as 1348 in the writings of Boccaccio, in the Decameron, he speaks of a mountain made completely of Parmesan to accompany macaroni and ravioli.
Use of the name Parmigiano Reggiano
In the European Union the word parmesan is a food label protected by the law that can be legally used to refer exclusively to the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP cheese manufactured in a limited area in Northern Italy. (See Protected designation of origin.) Outside Europe, local cheeses are manufactured and sold under the generic name Parmesan in many countries, most notably in the United States.
The name is trademarked, and in Italy there is a legal exclusive control exercid over its production and sales by the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Consorzio (created by a governmental decree). There are strict criteria each wheel must meet early in the aging process, when the cheese is still soft and creamy, to merit the official seal and be placed in storage for aging.
Parmigiano Reggiano has become an increasingly regulated product; in 1955 it became what is known as a certified name (not a brand name). The name "Parmesan" (in its extra-European sense) however, has no such regulations. The European Union campaigns against the use of protected European food labels by producers outside the designated region of origin, which might eventually lead to dropping the word "Parmesan" from cheese products originating outside the designated production region of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Other cheeses named Parmesan
The Grana Padano is an italian cheese very similar to the Parmigiano Reggiano. Differences are:
- It is produced mainly in Lombardy - the name Padano derives from the River Po
- Cows can also be fed silage, not grass and hay only
- The milk contains slightly less fat
- Milk of several days can be used
- It is aged for 15 months only
American Parmesan differs from Parmigiano Reggiano in several ways:
- The cheese is aged for 10 months only
- The curds for Parmigiano Reggiano are cut into fragments the size of wheat grains, which is much finer than the fragments created in the manufacture of the American version Parmesan. The smaller curds drain more effectively; American Parmesan is mechanically pressed in order to expel excess moisture.
- Parmesan wheels in the United States average 11 kg (24 pounds). The size difference can affect their salt saturation during the brining process; Parmigiano Reggiano on average contains two-thirds less sodium than the average Parmesan.
Gourmands tend to view Grana Padano and American Parmesan as inferior in quality to Parmigiano Reggiano, due to its difference in flavor and texture.
See also
- Reggianito, an Argentine cheese in the Parmesan style
- List of Italian PDO cheeses
- List of cheeses