Parmigiano-Reggiano
(also known in English as Parmesan) is one of the oldest
and most popular Italian cheeses.
The oldest testimony of the origin and quality of
Parmesan Reggiano goes back to the Renaissance ...
Boccaccio talks about it in his Decameron where Maso describes to Calandrino
the town of Bengodi. Frate Salimbene also mentions it in his
"Chronicles" from the 15th century and Francesco Serra cites it in
the first Italian dictionary of synonyms published in 1656: "the names of
the cheeses derive from the places where the best examples are made. For
example, there is Parmigiano, which takes its name from the place and from its
high quality". A curious testimony, referred to by various biographers,
states that Molière, in later years, nourished himself mainly with Parmesan, a
confirmation of the modern recommendation of this cheese for children and the
elderly due to its high nutritional value, its digestibility and its wealth of
calcium and phosphorus that are easily assimilated.
In the archives of Reggio Emilia and of Parma,
especially in the records of exported goods, there is mention from the 16th
century of shipments of Parmesan Reggiano to all parts of Europe and there is
also mention of a complicated legal question that arose in 1536 regarding the
fact that some cheese-makers of the Veneto region tried to make Parmesan, thus
creating the oldest precedent of falsification.
The only
difference between a Parmigiano-Reggiano of the XIII century and one today
is in quality control. The milk cows from the typical zone of
Parmigiano-Reggiano are fed exclusively on forage coming from pastureland in the selected zone.
Highly scented and rich in vital food, the forage is the first element which
distinguishes this cheese.
The
transformation of milk, as in a ritual, follows with precision ancient and
unchanging rules.The milk placed in the cauldron, is heated to the correct temperature.The
cheese is formed with the addition of a whey starter and rennet, two absolutely
natural elements. Nothing else is added. Once the curds have been broken
and cooked, the resulting mass, removed from the cauldron using a large piece of
material is placed in cylindrical wooden shapes which, as well as shaping the
cheese give it the first branding mark.
The form thus obtained is placed in a bath of salt water where, as a result of the
saline solution, it eliminates excess water and absorbs a small amount of
salt. Common table salt is used and this is the only element added to
making the cheese.
The form of
cheese is then taken to the spectacular maturing
stores where it will rest for up to 24 months. Half way through this
period, at around 12 months, inspectors from the Consortium check the form: if
it presents all the characteristics of suitability it will receive the firebrand mark.
In the
meantime the cheese continues to mature. Unlike other cheese the total
absence of preserving agents does not block the natural process of
transformation within the cheese.
Almost as though the milk has continued
to live in another dimension... This allows the cheese to reach maturity with a
wealth of substances, aromas and scents of incomparable quality. At
the moment the cheese presents itself in forms of between 33-35 kg, a hard
cheese, uniform, finely grained (hence the nickname ‘grana’), lightly straw colored,
with an exquisite and unmistakable taste and scent.
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