Description
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
The king of cheeses, one of the most prized cheeses in the World. Every time we crack into a new wheel it takes to a place and time the smell of a freshly cracked wheel reminds us of this aged old tradition of cheesemaking. A distinctive buttery aroma hints at the barrage of nutty sweetness and spice followed by a salt-caramel finish. This 80-pound wheel of cheese is made from raw, partially skimmed milk in Parma – thanks to strict D.O.P regulations. We choose 22-24-month wheels; any younger and we miss the intensity, any older and the salt and sandy texture overwhelm. Those white specks there are clusters of amino acids.
Parmigiano Reggiano with 22-24 months of maturation is soluble, crumbly, and grainy with the right balance between mildness and tastiness, with notes of fresh fruit, nuts, and meat stock. Perfect with medium body wines and to add flavor to all the dishes of the Italian tradition.
More about Parmigiano Reggiano
The Renaissance
In the Emilia region of the 15th century, feudal lords and abbeys contributed to the production increase of the Parma and Reggio plains that led to further economic development.
The wheel size increased reaching weights of up to 18kg each. The 16th century saw the development of the so-called “vaccherie”, cowsheds, connected to a dairy to process the milk of the owner, as well as that of the sharecroppers that took turns to help the cheese master,
hence the name “turnario” in Italian. Dairies became a production, economic, and then social reference point.
In those years production developed also in the province of Modena. The cooks of that time mentioned “Parmigiano” in several recipes of pasta dishes and sweets.
Sales continued growing: in Parma merchants called “formaggiai” or “lardaroli” used to sell cheese and deli meats to traders from other areas, especially from Milan and Cremona. That was when they started exporting all around Europe: Germany, Flanders, France and also Spain.
The importance of time
The story of Parmigiano-Reggiano is a long one, and also a slow one, following the natural rhythm of the seasons.
In fact, the minimum maturation time is 12 months, the longest among all the PDO cheeses, and only at this point can it be decided if each individual wheel is worthy of the name it was given at its birth, and therefore continue the maturation up to 24, 36, 40 months and more.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.