When we think of food in Italy, we immediately think of pasta. And when we think of pasta,
we often imagine some freshly grated Parmesan cheese to go on top, without which the dish
would not be complete. If one wishes to eat well, this will not be your ordinary Parmesan
in the green container from the grocery store. This will be the exalted Parmigiano Reggiano.
When we talk about Parmigiano Reggiano, we are referring to a specific product coming exclusively
from an area in Italy located between the Po river and the Apennine mountains. This area includes the
towns of Reggio Emilia, Parma, Modena, and Bologna. The locations are guaranteed by a
system of EU rules because Parmigiano, like other Italian delicacies, is a DOP product,
meaning Protected Designation of Origin. Parmigiano Reggiano is an expensive product,
but it is also a superior product, and therefore worth the price to those who can afford it.
The name Parmigiano Reggiano, by law, can only apply to a cheese which has been produced in
the place of origin, Emilia Romagna, has been made following very strict methods,
including specific control over the animals used for production, and it must have special markings
applied to the final product to verify its consistency with these regulations.
Production of Parmigiano Reggiano today doesn’t differ from the way it was made during the Middle
Ages, and it’s even made in the same places. The first producers of Parmigiano were monks,
the Benedictine and Cistercian monks from the plains of Italy. They are the ones who
reclaimed the land, optimized the rearing of the cows, and the production of milk.
Essentially, they were looking for a cheese that could last a long time. They took advantage of the
availability of salt in the salt deposits of Salsomaggiore, a town nearby. In fact,
the first proof of the existence of parmigiano goes back to a document from 1254,
where this cheese appears under the name “caseus parmensis”, or Parma cheese. Soon after that,
parmigiano was found in other regions like Piedmont and Tuscany, and other places around
the Mediterranean Sea. In the seventeenth century the Duke of Parma Ranuccio Farnese
increased the production of this cheese by further developing cow farms, and officially
declaring the DOP to protect the product. On August 7th 1612, Parmigiano was officially born.
Today 380 small farms exist in the area, all family owned. They receive the recognition for
their artisanal work intended to protect the methods of cheese making and the high
quality of their products. Let’s get a closer look at this process, starting with the cows.
These cows are a special breed, called VACCHE ROSSE, or red cows. These are the same type of
cows used by the Benedictine monks. They feed exclusively on locally grown organic forage.
Any kind of fermented food is strictly prohibited, as well as any byproduct of the food industry.
These cows produce less milk than other cows, but their milk is fatter, better tasting,
and it performs better in cheese-making. Also, most importantly, it contains a higher percentage
of casein. This guarantees better aging and digestibility. The cows are milked twice per
day and their milk must be taken to the cheese house within two hours of milking. At the dairy,
the milk sits overnight, with open windows, to allow the fats to come to the surface. This fat
will be used for butter. It takes 550 liters of milk to make 1 wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Obviously everything is made by hand. The evening milk, now partially skimmed, is poured into copper
cauldrons, and in the morning the new whole milk is added to it. Here, natural whey is added.
Then it’s time for the rennet, or caglio, the natural enzyme which allows the milk to curdle.
A special tool shaped like a balloon wisk is used to break down the curdled milk. This is
called the “spino”. Heat is applied carefully and soon a large mass will form. The cheesemakers put
the mass into a large cheese cloth and divide it into 2 parts. Each part will be placed in a
special mold to rest for a couple of days in order to allow the liquid to drain. At this point the
cheese already looks like a wheel, but it’s still soft. Before the cheese is transferred to a new
perforated metal mold, some stamps are applied. First, a braille-looking stamp that says
Parmigiano Reggiano in the well known repeated dot-pattern. This stamp also displays the ID
number of the dairy, as well as the month and year of production. Second, the cheese will always be
identified thanks to a progressive alphanumeric code on the top that can be scanned by computer.
Then the wheel is brought to a darker room with long tubs. Here the cheese is submerged in a very
saturated solution of water and sea salt for about 20 days to allow the absorption of the salt. This
will be the only opportunity for the cheese to get extra flavor. Every day the wheels are turned.
Now, finally, the cheese is ready to be aged. The cheese is taken to a very
large temperature- controlled room, filled with shelves. The minimum aging time is 12 months,
after which every wheel is inspected by an official cheese tester. If the wheel passes the
inspection, the certification mark is applied in the empty spot between the dairy ID and the date
of production. If the cheese is deemed suitable for longer aging, which could be up to 36 months,
the wheels will stay longer. During this time the wheels are rotated periodically.
Today there are robots taking care of this phase, but originally they were rotated manually.
At the end of the desired aging period, the wheels are tapped with a small percussion-hammer,
looking for hollow-sounding spots. It takes great practice to be able to detect this.
A second test, before the cheese is sent to the Consortium for the final approval,
involves inserting a small needle-like tool in order to smell the cheese.
If the smell is perfect, the wheel can finally receive the certification brand.
If it isn’t quite right, it doesn’t mean that the cheese is bad, but it cannot be sold as
premium cheese, rather only for less gourmet purposes. All of this is regulated by firm laws.
A mature wheel will weigh around 40 kilograms, or approximately 88 pounds,
and if you want to get your hands on one of these beauties, it will set you back almost $1,000.
Their value is no joke, and in the olden days, wheels of parmigiano could even be
used as a down payment for a house! Unlike any other cheese, parmigiano has a very pleasant
granular crumbly texture. Nutritionally speaking, it is also superior. It contains many proteins,
and it has high concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, and numerous growth-related vitamins.
It’s easily digestible and has the lowest cholesterol level among all cheeses. It can
be eaten alone, served in chunks to eat with one’s hands, grated on pasta as everyone knows,
or even flavored with balsamic vinegar. Cooking the rind in soups is also a special treat. So
hopefully we now have an enhanced appreciation for Parmigiano Reggiano. BUON APPETITO!