Parmigiano Reggiano
Country of origin	Italy
Region, town	Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna (west of the Reno), Mantua (south of the Po)
Source of milk	Cows
Pasteurised	No
Texture	Hard
Aging time	Minimum: 12 months Vecchio: 18–24 months Stravecchio: 24–36 months
Certification	Italy: DOC 1955 EU: PDO 1992

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. Image File history File links Parmigiano_reggiano_piece. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Parma (It. ... The Province of Reggio Emilia is one of the eight provinces of the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna. ... Modena (It. ... Bologna (Italian: Provincia di Bologna) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... The Reno is a river of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. ... Mantua (It. ... PO may stand for: Pareto optimality Parole Officer Per os, Latin for by mouth or orally Perfect Orange a third wave ska based in Knoxville, TN from 2002-2005 Petty Officer, a Non-Commissioned Officer Rank in many Navies Pilkington Optronics, now Thales Optronics Pilot Officer, a junior commissioned rank... COW is an acronym for a number of things: Can of worms The COW programming language, an esoteric programming language. ... Denominazione di origine controllata is an Italian quality assurance label for food products and especially wines (an appellation). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are geographical indications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Grana refers to a class of hard, mature cheeses from Italy which have a granular texture. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Parma (PR) Mayor Elvio Ubaldi (since May 28, 2002) Elevation 55 m Area 260 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 175,789  - Density 676/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Parmigiani (Parmensi are called the provinces inhabitants) Dialing code... Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Reggio Emilia (RE) Mayor Graziano Delrio (from July 1, 2004) Elevation 58 m Area 231 km² Population  - Total 141,383  - Density 612/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Reggiani Dialing code 0522 Postal code 42100 Frazioni see list Patron San Prospero  - Day... Emilia-Romagna is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ...

Parmigiano is simply the Italian adjective for Parma; the French version, parmesan, is used in English. The term parmesan is also loosely used as a common term for cheeses imitating true Parmesan cheese, especially outside Europe; within Europe, the Parmesan name is classified as a protected designation of origin. The generic name for this type of cheese is grana. Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are geographical indications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ... Grana refers to a class of hard, mature cheeses from Italy which have a granular texture. ...

Production

Parmigiano Reggiano is made from raw cow's milk. Only milk produced between May 1 and November 11 is used in producing the true Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk of the previous evening's milking resulting in a part skim mixture. The milk is pumped into copper lined vats (copper heats quickly and cools quickly). There are 1,100 liters of milk per vat, producing two cheeses each. The curd making up each wheel at this point weighs around 45 kg (100 lb). The remaining whey in the vat was traditionally used to feed the pigs from which Parma Hams (Prosciutto) are produced. The barns for these animals were usually just a few yards away from the cheese production rooms. COW is an acronym for a number of things: Can of worms The COW programming language, an esoteric programming language. ... A glass of cows milk. ... Prosciutto Prosciutto (IPA: ) is the Italian word for ham, used in English to refer to dry-cured ham (prosciutto crudo). ...

The cheese is put into a stainless steel round form that is pulled tight with a spring powered buckle so the cheese retains it wheel shape. After a day or two, the buckle is released and a plastic belt imprinted numerous times with the Parmigiano Reggiano name, the plant's number, and month and year of production is put around the cheese and the metal form is buckled tight again. The imprints take hold on the rind of the cheese in about a day and the wheel is then put into a brine bath to absorb salt for 20 days. After brining, the wheels are then transferred to the aging rooms in the plant for 12 months. Each cheese is placed on wooden shelves that can be 24 cheeses high by 90 cheeses long or about 4,000 total wheels per aisle. Each cheese and the shelf underneath it is then cleaned robotically every 7 days. The cheese is also turned at this time.

At 12 months the Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano inspects each and every cheese. The cheese is tested by a Master grader whose only instruments are a hammer and sound. By tapping the wheel at various points, he can identify undesirable cracks and voids within the wheel. Those cheeses that pass the test are then heat branded on the rind with the Consorzio's logo. Cheeses that are not so selected used to have their rinds remarked with lines or the letter x all the way around so consumers know they are not getting top quality Parmigiano Reggiano, but are now simply stripped of all markings.

Traditionally, cows have to be fed only on grass or hay, producing grass fed milk. Only natural whey culture is allowed as a starter, together with calf rennet.^[1] Natural vegetation dominated by grasses Grass is a common word that generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant in the family Poaceae. ... Stacked hay in Romania A bale of grass hay weighing approximately 70 pounds, able to be managed by one person without need for mechanized equipment Close view of grass hay. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Rennet is a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mothers milk. ...

The only additive allowed is salt which the cheese absorbs while being submerged for 20 days in brine tanks saturated to near total salinity with Mediterranean sea 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 and a slightly gritty texture. Inferior versions can impart a bitter taste. Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ...

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). An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... DIAMETER is an AAA protocol (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) succeeding its predecessor RADIUS. // The name is a pun on the RADIUS protocol, which is the predecessor (a diameter is twice the radius). ...

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. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Soup is usually a savoury liquid food that is made by combining ingredients, such as meat, vegetables and beans in stock or hot water, until the flavor is extracted, forming a broth. ... Risotto prepared with mushrooms and scallions. ... This articles section called Manufacture does not cite its references or sources. ... Alfredo is an Italian sauce made from heavy cream, butter, parsley, and minced garlic. ... Pesto (italian pron. ...

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. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Province of Reggio Emilia (RE) Mayor Elevation m Area 28. ... The Province of Reggio Emilia is one of the eight provinces of the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

Parmesan cheese being tested at a festival in Modena with balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.

A factory of Parmigiano Reggiano. There are two storerooms, each one with 20 of these shelves.

Parmigiano Reggiano festival in Modena; each wheel (block of cheese) costs 490 Euro.

A common American variation of Parmesan. Ready grated Parmesan is, in common with ground spices, commonly viewed to have an inferior flavor to that sold whole, as after grating it loses flavor quickly.

It was praised as early as 1348 in the writings of Boccaccio; in the Decameron, he speaks of a mountain made completely of Parmigiano to accompany macaroni and ravioli. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 493 KB) Balsamic vinegar drizzled over chunks of parmesan cheese, Modena, Italy. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 493 KB) Balsamic vinegar drizzled over chunks of parmesan cheese, Modena, Italy. ... This articles section called Manufacture does not cite its references or sources. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 860 KB) The factory of parmesan cheeses, Modena. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 860 KB) The factory of parmesan cheeses, Modena. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 709 KB) Parmigiano Reggiano festival, Modena, Italy. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 709 KB) Parmigiano Reggiano festival, Modena, Italy. ... Modena (Mòdna in Modenese dialect) is a city and a province on the south side of the Po valley, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ... “EUR” redirects here. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x800, 45 KB) Summary self-created Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x800, 45 KB) Summary self-created Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... April 7 - Charles University is founded in Prague. ... Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (June 16, 1313 – December 21, 1375) was an Italian author and poet, a friend and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist in his own right and author of a number of notable works including On Famous Women, the Decameron and his poetry in the vernacular. ... Illustration from a copy of The Decameron, ca. ... Close-up photo of a handful of macaroni. ... Lemon dill shrimp ravioli Ravioli is a popular type of pasta, comprised of a filling, commonly (though not always) meat-based, sealed between two layers of pasta dough. ...

Samuel Pepys is reputed to have buried his Parmigiano during the Great Fire of London of 1666 to preserve it. Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, famous chiefly for his comprehensive diary. ... Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ...

Use of the name Parmigiano Reggiano

In the European Union, "Parmesan" is a protected designation of origin; legally, it refers exclusively to the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP cheese manufactured in a limited area in Northern Italy. Outside Europe, most notably in the United States, similar cheeses may be sold under the name Parmesan, considered generic. When they are sold in Europe, they must use another name, such as Kraft's "pamesello italiano".^[2] Protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are geographical indications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ... Kraft has more than one meaning: there is a company named Kraft Foods there is the paper industry Kraft process In the German language, kraft means force (see [1]) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The name is trademarked, and in Italy there is a legal exclusive control exercised over its production and sales by the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Consorzio, which was 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). 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about brands in marketing. ...

Outside Europe, the name "Parmesan" is treated as generic. 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 erroneously named Parmesan

The Grana Padano is an Italian cheese very similar to the Parmigiano Reggiano. Differences are: Grana Padano cheese is one of the most popular Denominazione di Origine Controllata cheeses of Italy. ...

• It is produced mainly in Lombardy - the name Padano derives from the Pianura Padana
• 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

Kraft's American Parmesan differs from Parmigiano Reggiano in several ways: Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia, Lombard: Lumbardìa) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... Silage (hay) somewhere in Allschwil or Schönenbuch, near Basel, Switzerland. ...

• 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 of 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 salt than the average Parmesan.

Gourmets tend to view Grana Padano as inferior and American Parmesan as much inferior to Parmigiano Reggiano in flavor and texture. Curd is a dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating) milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar and then draining off the liquid portion (called whey). ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation). ... In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. ... Jordanian and Israeli salt evaporation ponds at the south end of the Dead Sea Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... A gourmet is a person with a discriminating palate and who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink. ...

See also

• Reggianito, an Argentine cheese in the Parmesan style
• List of Italian PDO cheeses
• List of Italian cheeses
• List of cheeses
• Parmo - an English delicacy labeled for now strictly historical reasons as having to do with Parmesan cheese

Country of origin Argentina Region, town Source of milk Pasture-fed cows Pasteurised  ? Texture Hard, granular Aging time 6 months Certification Reggianito is a very hard, granular, cows milk cheese from Argentina whose origins lie with immigrant Italians who wished to make a cheese reminiscent of their native Parmigiano-Reggiano. ... List of PDO Italian cheeses (with their places of origin in Italy) PDO refers to the European regulation of Protected Designation of Origin Asiago (Padua, Trento, Treviso, Vicenza) Bitto (Bergamo, Sondrio) Bra (Cuneo, Turin) Caciocavallo Silano (Crotone, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Naples, Isernia, Campobasso, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, Matera, Potenza... . ... This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. ... A typical take-away Parmo Parmo or Parmesan is a popular food dish, found primarly in the Teesside area of North East England, where it also originated. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area...

Notes

References

• Disciplinare di produzione (Italian)

External links

• http://www.parmigiano-reggiano.it/lang.cfm?lang=ENG
• http://www.parmigiano.it/
• http://www.milkonline.com/fiera/cheese/parmigiano_reggiano.htm
• http://www.itinerarinelgusto.it (Italian) Typical Italian cheeses map
• http://www.prodottitipici.com/prodotto/0214/Parmigiano-Reggiano.htm