Dairy
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is a PDO hard cow’s-milk cheese from a defined zone of Emilia-Romagna and parts of Lombardy, made from partly skimmed raw milk, cooked curd, and long natural ageing—commonly 12 to 36 months or more. The dense, granular paste develops tyrosine crystals, deep nutty-savoury flavour, and a brittle texture that fractures into shards rather than slicing cleanly. It is the reference Italian grating and table grana: shaved, grated, or broken for boards, broths, and finishing dishes. Strict consortium rules on feed, rennet, salting in brine, and minimum age distinguish it from generic Parmesan and from the related but separate PDO Grana Padano.
Also known as: Left of the Reno, Right of the Po
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History
Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries in the Parma–Reggio plain documented large hard cheeses suited to long keeping and trade.
Boccaccio’s Decameron famously alluded to a mountain of grated Parmigiano, reflecting the cheese’s medieval renown.
Ducal regulation in Parma began formal oversight of production practices for the region’s hard cheese.
A consortium formed to protect and promote Parmigiano-Reggiano identity against imitations.
Italian DOC recognition fixed production zone and method; later EU PDO status locked origin and process in law.
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rules and rind marking became the global benchmark for authentic long-aged Italian grana.