Among the many wonderful food products making Emilia Romagna the Italian “food paradise”, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is for sure the King.

Aged wheels of Parmigiano

The production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is spread around the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantova: 339 Parmigiano Reggiano producers, called “Caseifici”.
In this area is produced the whole amount of the Parmigiano Reggiano sold in the world: almost 3.500.000 pieces every year.

Spinatura
The milk added with rennet coagulates and makes a layer of cheese that floats on top of the boiler. The “Casaro” breaks it with the “Spino” a special tool with blades that transform the curd into very little grains.

The visit of a Parmigiano Reggiano producer is an authentic experience, extremely informative and useful. A must do and a very good reason among many others to come to Emilia Romagna!
Some of our guests after the visit said: “I will never say again that Parmigiano is expensive and now I have a much bigger respect of it!”

The Cooking of the Parmigiano Reggiano
The cheese is cooked at a temperature of 55°C but never reaches the pastorization temperature (70°C).  The little grains of cheese makes a single mass of cheese of around 100Kg.

Making Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard daily work, same movements are constantly repeated but at the same time it is magic.

The Casaro continuously touches and control the consistence of cheese and decides when it is time to pass to the next step.

The Parmigiano “recipe” is very simple: 14 litres of fresh cow milk for making a kilo of Parmigiano, rennet, salt, no additives nor preservatives, 24 months of average aging, but the main secrets are the hand and the experience of the “Casaro” who follows every single day of the year, every single step of the production. It is not possible to make a Parmigiano wheel with a machine.

The birth of the Parmigiano Reggiano!
After resting for 30-40 minutes, Parmigiano Reggiano is ready and is taken out.

From fresh milk added with rennet and warmed, after several steps, in a couple hours you get a wheel of 45-50 Kilos.

Cheese is cut in two parts
Each cauldron produces two wheels of cheese.

The origin of cheese making in Parma area dates back to the Age of Bronze!

Parmigiano is resting
The two baby Parmigiano are resting for a while before going into the “forme” (mould)

Some traces of this cheese have been found in literature: in the land of milk and honey – also known as “Bengodi” or “Cuccagna” – it was described by Boccaccio in the “Decameron” as a delicacy for the palate.

Ricotta
With the left over of the Parmigiano making, you can make ricotta that literally means “cooked twice”.

Parmigiano Reggiano goes into the “forma”
The name “formaggio” comes from the fact that the cheese just made is put into a “forma” (mould)

“Et eravi una montagna tutta di formaggio Parmigiano grattugiato, sopra la quale stavan genti, che niuna altra cosa facevan, che fare maccheroni e ravioli e cuocerli in brodo di capponi, e poi li gittavan quindi giù, e chi più ne pigliava, più se n’aveva. Giovanni Boccaccio, Decamerone, 1351

Steel mould
After few hours each piece of cheese is moved to another steel mould that prints all around the wheel “Parmigiano Reggiano”, date of production and other information.

Historian reports the beginning of Parmigiano during the Middle Ages when monks belonging to the Benedictine and Cistercian orders in the area of Parma and Reggio Emilia intensified agricultural activities where animals work was needed. Cows breeding brought with it the desire to store exceeding milk for times of scarcity. Then it’s a story of intensified trades with Italian kingdoms and its blowing beyond the Alps towards those countries who were intrigued by its taste.

Salatura (salting)
The last step before the aging is the “salatura”: 20 days in salted water, the only preservative used in making Parmigiano Reggiano

A few people know about a French legacy of Napoleon troops that invaded Italy, in Parmigiano Reggiano production: cheesemakers today still measure milk temperature using the French Scale  “Réaumur” instead of “Celsius”.

The inspection of the Consortium
Only the wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano which after one year aging meet the P.D.O. requirements are marked with fire by the experts of the Consortium. This guarantees the absolute quality of the cheese.

The aging
After the fire-branding by the inspector of the Consortium, wheels are aged for 24 to 36 months or more.

In the centuries the techniques, the way of aging the cheese, the possibility to control the temperature of cooking and aging, helped, developed and improved a lot the production, but the Parmigiano Reggiano is still made in the same way it was made 900 years ago.

The Parmigiano Reggiano is ready!
The stamp made with the fire on the side of the wheel guarantees that it is authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.

Most recent times have met the importance of the Consortium, gathering every single “caseificio”, checking wheels quality and setting rules regarding the way cows have to be nourished and wheels aged to be a DOP.

Cutting
Cutting a Parmigiano wheel is an art.
The best Parmigiano Reggiano is from the cheese just opened.

Parmigiano Reggiano boasts several leaderships: it is considered – with the blessing of France- the King of the cheeses and, by consequence, it is the most counterfeited cheese in the world.

All these information do not help in doing the most important thing: recognizing the authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. In order to discover the Parmigiano that fits your tastes, it takes experience and many tastings.

It’s time to taste it!
You can taste Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top of a pasta dish, use in hundreds of recipes, but also in pieces, maybe with a drop of the authentic balsamic vinegar.

Here are some suggestions you might use at your trusted cheese shop to know if you are buying Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Parmesan or any other bad and illegal copy:

• buy Parmigiano from shops selling Parmigiano Reggiano in typical round wheels
• do not buy already grated cheese
• check if the external part of the wheel of Parmigiano carries the traditional stamp of the Consorzio
• check if the external part of the wheel is carved
• ask which is the cheese producer code
• eventually, taste it!

Map
Area of production of the Parmigiano Reggiano

Come to taste and discover with us all the hidden secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano!  

Marcello and Raffaella Tori invite you to come and taste Italy in an authentic, up close, and personal way. Everything is arranged, from food and wine tastings to cooking lessons, walks in the countryside and meanders through beautiful villages. Marcello and Raffaella live in Bologna and have over 20 years of experience working with people just like you who want to taste all Italy has to offer. Their unique experiences are enduring in their simplicity and authenticity. Join us for a day trip or a 4-7 day tour and taste and see amazing Italy through the eyes of Marcello and Raffaella. What are you waiting for? Come and Taste Our Italy! Find our more at bluone.com and follow us on BluoneCookingWineToursItaly/. Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.