Guide to Parmigiano Reggiano: King of Cheeses

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is made from raw cow’s milk, salt, and rennet in a strictly defined part of northern Italy. Each wheel is aged for at least 12 months, gradually developing a more crumbly texture and increasingly complex flavors. Younger cheeses are delicious with aperitifs and fresh fruit, while longer-aged examples develop the crumbly texture and rich, nutty flavors that make this cheese so special.

Known for a good reason as the King of Cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is a major protagonist at dinner tables worldwide. Although little has changed since it was first produced in the Middle Ages, its popularity, versatility, and relevance to current-day dinner tables have never been greater.

History

We owe much to the medieval monks for the farming systems they developed, which enabled the production of wines, spirits, and delicious foods, including Parmigiano Reggiano. As self-sufficient farmers, the Benedictine and Cistercian monks of the Parma region invented a way to preserve cheese made from the milk of their large cattle herds using salt from the nearby spa town of Salsomaggiore. Over time the technique caught on, and soon there were sharecropping systems, forerunners of today’s Parmigiano Reggiano cooperatives; Boccaccio mentioned the cheese in his celebrated 14th-century work, ‘Decameron,’ and by Renaissance times, the famous cheese was being exported far and wide.

How it’s made

The aura of wonder surrounding Parmigiano Reggiano is only perhaps heightened by its strict system of checks and controls; yet, for such a mighty cheese, the production method and ingredients list are astonishingly simple.

The official area for Parmigiano Reggiano production is small, covering the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena, plus the part of Bologna province to the left of the River Reno in Emilia-Romagna, and a sliver of Mantua province (to the right of the River Po) in Lombardy. All the milk must come from this area, and the cows’ diet is carefully regulated: they eat grass or hay grown predominantly in the region, and silage (fermented forage) is prohibited.

Visiting a cheese dairy often means an early start – cheesemaking occurs as soon as the milk arrives from the milking parlors. Full-fat and raw, the fresh morning milk is combined with the milk from the previous evening, from which the cream is skimmed off after resting in wide tanks. The resulting semi-skimmed milk is poured into large, upside-down bell-shaped copper-lined vats – around 550 liters for each wheel, over 1000 liters per vat. All that’s added, apart from a small amount of whey starter from the previous day’s cheesemaking, is natural rennet. Steam passing through the walls of the vats heats the milk, and the curds are broken with a long-handled implement like a globe-shaped rake, known as ‘spino’ from the Italian word for hawthorn, biancospino, whose branches were once used. The process continues with further heating to 55°C, and the coagulated cheese mass is divided into a pair of ‘twins,’ each weighing around 50kg. These two wheels are heaved out using traditional linen cloth and placed in a circular mold with the characteristic dotted ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ script around the edge for a couple of days. Some of the remaining whey is used for ricotta, though much of it has traditionally been fed to pigs, contributing to the excellent local pork-based products.

Next, the wheels undergo a three-week bath in salted water, then begin a long aging process, resting on shelves and rotating regularly for at least 12 months.

The hammer test

After a year, the Consortium visits and an expert tests each wheel, tapping it with a small hammer and listening for defects such as air pockets. Those that meet the DOP requirements receive the hot-iron branded oval Parmigiano Reggiano logo. Wheels with minor or moderate defects are scored with a series of parallel lines around the entire edge and sold as ‘mezzano’ (medium-quality Parmigiano Reggiano). Wheels with more serious defects lose their identifying marks and cannot be sold under the protected name.

Premium-quality cheeses may continue aging beyond twelve months for a year or more. Although some producers are now experimenting with extreme aging, it’s becoming easier to find Parmigiano Reggiano of up to 48 or 60 months.

Traceability is key when excellence reaches such heights. Each wheel bears an edible casein plate with a unique identification code and a Data Matrix symbol that traces it to its dairy and production date. A number identifying the cheesemaking dairy and the month and year of production is also stamped on the edge of the cheese.

How to recognize authentic Parmigiano Reggiano

When buying a piece of cheese, look for the characteristic dotted ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ lettering on the rind, where it is visible, together with the dairy number and production date. Pre-packed portions should carry the official Parmigiano Reggiano DOP markings and state the minimum maturation period.

The Varieties

While any breed of cow can produce milk for Parmigiano Reggiano, most are high-yielding Italian Friesians, the black-and-white cattle originally from the Dutch district of Friesland. Some producers, however, still use traditional cattle breeds, such as the white Bianca Modenese, supported by a Slow Food Presidium, the mushroom-colored Bruna, or the rusty-red-coated Vacca Rossa of Reggio Emilia. Producers in the Vacche Rosse consortium must make Parmigiano Reggiano using milk from this breed; their cheeses generally have a creamier texture and must age at least 24 months.

Parmigiano Reggiano, made in mountain areas, where the cows enjoy high-altitude pastures and natural biodiversity, can bear the green mark of the ‘Prodotto di Montagna’ certification. This cheese is subject to additional regulations governing its production and maturation.

Enjoying it!

While many of us grate Parmigiano Reggiano over pasta, there are myriad other ways to enjoy it. Naturally rich in vitamins and nutrients, the cheese is lactose-free by the time it’s released. Over time, it evolves and matures, developing deeper colors, drier textures, and richer, mellow flavors that make it a perfect match for different pairings and kitchen uses. Younger cheeses (12-18 months) pair well with aperitifs, salads, and fresh fruit; at 24 months, the cheese’s expressive character works well with pasta dishes and vegetable soups. Older-aged Parmigiano Reggiano (30 months and above) pairs well with meat or fish dishes, as a snack with walnuts or almonds, or simply with a well-structured red wine or a few drops of traditional balsamic vinegar.

Parmigiano Reggiano by Age: Taste and Wine Pairings

Age	Character
12–18 months	Delicate, milky and slightly fruity	Pignoletto frizzante: fresh bubbles suit the younger cheese’s gentler character.
24 months	Nutty, more crumbly and savory	Lambrusco Reggiano: its lively acidity and bubbles balance the cheese’s richness.
30–36 months	Drier, granular and more intense	A mature Romagna Sangiovese: a more structured partner for the savory flavors.
40+ months	Concentrated, complex and sometimes spicy	A structured Barbera: enough depth to accompany the cheese’s powerful flavor.

When you’ve eaten your way down to the rind, don’t despair; it’s perfectly edible, as a natural part of the cheese that has hardened over time due to contact with the atmosphere – there is no artificial coating. Give the rind a good clean before using it. In addition, the rind of Parmigiano Reggiano can add a delicious extra something to soups and stews; the cooking process softens even the toughest rinds so that you can eat that too.

Further information

The Parmigiano Reggiano website has a wealth of information on its prized product and a collection of recipes and tips for cooking with it.

For more on the cheese’s background and history, visit the fascinating Parmigiano Reggiano Museum near Parma. It is now housed in the former Capuchin church at Fontevivo, next to the town’s Cistercian abbey.

Some notable and recommended producers

• Antica Latteria Ducale
• Giansanti Di Muzio
• Fattoria Rossi
• Consorzio Vacche Rosse