Parmesan
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Parmesan (, ) is an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
hard,
granular Granularity (also called graininess) is the degree to which a material or system is composed of distinction (philosophy), distinguishable pieces, granular material, "granules" or grain, "grains" (metaphorically). It can either refer to the exten ...
cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
produced from
cow's milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Milk contains many nutr ...
and aged at least 12 months. It is a grana-type cheese, along with Grana Padano, the historic , and others. The term ''Parmesan'' may refer to either Parmigiano Reggiano or, when outside the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and Lisbon Agreement countries, a locally produced
imitation Imitation (from Latin ''imitatio'', "a copying, imitation") is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of learning that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our cu ...
. Parmigiano Reggiano is named after two of the areas which produce it, the Italian provinces of
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
and
Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...
(''Parmigiano'' is the Italian adjective for the city and province of Parma and ''Reggiano'' is the adjective for the province of Reggio Emilia); it is also produced in the part of
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
west of the River Reno and in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
(all of the above being located in the
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
region), as well as in the part of
Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
(
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
) on the south bank of the
River Po The Po ( , ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy, starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is , or if the Maira, a right bank tributary, is included. The headwaters of the Po are formed by a spring ...
. The names ''Parmigiano Reggiano'' and ''Parmesan'' are
protected designations of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union, geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related produ ...
(PDO) for cheeses produced in these provinces under Italian and European law. Outside the EU, the name ''Parmesan'' is legally used for imitations, with only the full Italian name unambiguously referring to PDO Parmigiano Reggiano. A 2021 press release by the Italian farmer-rancher association Coldiretti reported that, in the United States, 90% of "Italian sounding" cheese sold as parmesan, mozzarella, grana, and gorgonzola was produced domestically. Parmigiano Reggiano, among others, has been called " king of cheeses".


Definitions

The name is legally protected in the European Union and, in Italy, exclusive control is exercised over the cheese's production and sale by The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, which was created by a governmental decree. Each wheel must meet strict criteria early in the aging process, when the cheese is still soft and creamy, to merit the official seal and be placed in storage for aging. Because it is widely imitated, Parmigiano Reggiano has become an increasingly regulated product, and in 1955 it became what is known as a certified name (which is not the same as a
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
). In 2008, an EU court determined that the name ''Parmesan'' in Europe only refers to Parmigiano Reggiano and cannot be used for imitation Parmesan. Thus, in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, Parmigiano Reggiano is a
protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...
(PDO); legally, the name refers exclusively to the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese manufactured in a limited area in northern Italy. Special seals identify the product as authentic, with the identification number of the dairy, the production month and year, a code identifying the individual wheel, and stamps regarding the length of aging. File:Logo Parmigiano reggiano.svg, alt=Parmigiano Reggiano in gold letters, Official logo of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano File:Region Parmigiano-Reggiano.png, The production region of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano File:Unapproved Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel on shelf.JPG, A wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano with PDO marking and "Parmigiano Reggiano" written around the side. An official certification will be stamped into the central oval when it is graded.


Industry

All producers of Parmigiano Reggiano belong to the (), which was founded in 1928. Besides setting and enforcing the standards for the PDO, the ''Consorzio'' also sponsors marketing activities. , about 3.6 million wheels (approx. 137,000
metric tons The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the sh ...
) of Parmesan are produced every year; they use about 18% of all the milk produced in Italy. Most workers in the Italian dairy industry (''bergamini'') belong to the
Italian General Confederation of Labour The Italian General Confederation of Labour (, , CGIL ) is a national trade union centre in Italy. It was formed by an agreement between socialists, communists, and Christian democrats in the "Pact of Rome" of June 1944. In 1950, socialists and ...
. As older dairy workers retire, younger Italians have tended to work in factories or offices. Immigrants have filled that role. In 2015, 60 percent of the workers in the Parmesan industry were immigrants from India, almost all
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
.


Production

Parmigiano Reggiano is made from unpasteurised
cow's milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Milk contains many nutr ...
. The whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk of the previous evening's milking, resulting in a part skim mixture. This mixture is pumped into copper-lined vats, which heat evenly and contribute copper ions to the mix. Starter
whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...
(containing a mixture of certain
thermophilic A thermophile is a type of extremophile that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between . Many thermophiles are archaea, though some of them are bacteria and fungi. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earliest bact ...
lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped (bacilli) or spherical ( cocci) bacteria that share common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bact ...
) is added, and the temperature is raised to . Calf
rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease, protease enzyme that curdling, curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, su ...
is added, and the mixture is left to curdle for 10–12 minutes. The curd is then broken up mechanically into small pieces (around the size of rice grains). The temperature is then raised to with careful control by the cheese-maker. The curd is left to settle for 45–60 minutes. The compacted curd is collected in a piece of
muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq. Muslin was produced in different regions o ...
before being divided in two and placed in molds. There are of milk per vat, producing two cheeses each. The curd making up each
wheel A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machin ...
at this point weighs around . The remaining whey in the vat was traditionally used to feed the pigs from which ''prosciutto di Parma'' was produced. The barns for these animals were usually just a few metres away from the cheese production rooms. The cheese is put into a stainless steel, round form that is pulled tight with a spring-powered buckle so the cheese retains its wheel shape. After a day or two, the buckle is released and a plastic belt imprinted numerous times with the Parmigiano Reggiano name, the plant's number, and month and year of production is put around the cheese, and the metal form is buckled tight again. The imprints take hold on the rind of the cheese in about a day and the wheel is then put into a brine bath to absorb salt for 20–25 days. After brining, the wheels are then transferred to the aging rooms in the plant for 12 months. Each cheese is placed on wooden shelves that can be 24 cheeses high by 90 cheeses long or 2,160 total wheels per aisle. Each cheese and the shelf underneath it is then cleaned every seven days, and the cheese is turned. At 12 months, the () inspects every wheel. The cheese is tested by one of the country's 25 master graders, known as (), who taps each wheel with a small hammer (informally called ) to identify undesirable cracks and voids within the wheel, a process that takes about six or seven seconds. There are three grading categories. Wheels in the top category are heat-branded on the rind with the 's logo. Those in the second tier bear the mark but have their rinds marked with lines or crosses all the way around to inform consumers that they are not getting top-quality Parmigiano Reggiano. Cheese in the third category is simply stripped of all rind markings. Traditionally cows are fed only on grass or hay, producing grass-fed milk. Only natural whey culture is allowed as a starter, together with calf rennet. The only additive allowed is salt, which the cheese absorbs while being submerged for 20 days in brine tanks saturated to near-total
salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...
with Mediterranean sea salt. The product ages for a minimum of one year and an average of two years; an expert from the ''Consorzio'' typically conducts a sound test with a hammer to determine if a wheel has finished maturing. A typical Parmigiano Reggiano wheel is about high, in
diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest Chord (geometry), chord of the circle. Both definitions a ...
, and weighs . File:Parmigiano-Reggiano Factory.png, alt=A factory. On the left are large tubes. On the right are large vats with an orange interior., Copper-lined vats for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano File:Parmigiano reggiano factory.jpg, alt=An aisle in a room. On both sides are large yellow flattened spheres stacked on shelves to the ceiling., A Parmigiano Reggiano factory maturation room File:Parmigiano-Reggiano.png, alt=An infographic describing production., Product process of Parmesan cheese


Consumption

Parmigiano Reggiano is commonly grated over pasta dishes, stirred into soups and
risotto Risotto ( , ; from , 'rice') is an Italian cuisine, Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, a ...
s, and eaten on its own. It is often shaved or grated over other dishes such as salads. Slivers and chunks of the hardest parts of the crust are sometimes simmered in soups, broths, and sauces to add flavor. They can also be broiled and eaten as a snack if they have no wax on them, or infused in olive oil or used in a steamer basket while steaming vegetables.


History

According to legend, Parmigiano Reggiano was created in the course of the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
in the ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) of Bibbiano, in the
province of Reggio Emilia The province of Reggio Emilia (; Emilian: ''pruvînsa ed Rèz'') is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The capital city, which is the most densely populated ''comune'' (municipality) in the province, is Reggio Emilia. It has an ...
. Its production soon spread to the
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
and
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
areas. Historical documents show that in the 13th and 14th centuries, Parmigiano Reggiano was already very similar to that produced today, which suggests its origins can be traced to far earlier. Some evidence suggests that the name was used in Italy and France in the 17th-19th century. It was praised as early as 1348 in the writings of
Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio ( , ; ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was s ...
; in the ''
Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dante Alighieri's ''Comedy'' "''Divine''"), is a collection of ...
'', he invents a "mountain, all of grated Parmesan cheese", on which "dwell folk that do nought else but make macaroni and
ravioli Ravioli (; : ''raviolo'', ) are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though ...
, and boil them in capon's broth, and then throw them down to be scrambled for; and hard by flows a rivulet of Vernaccia, the best that ever was drunk, and never a drop of water therein". During the
Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
of 1666,
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
buried his "Parmazan cheese, as well as his wine and some other things" to preserve them. In the memoirs of
Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (; ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer who was born in the Republic of Venice and travelled extensively throughout Europe. He is chiefly remembered for his autobiography, written in French and pu ...
, he remarked that the name ''Parmesan'' was a misnomer common throughout an "ungrateful" Europe in his time (mid-18th century), as the cheese was produced in the ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) of Lodi, in Lombardy, not Parma. Parmigiano Reggiano has been the target of
organized crime in Italy Criminal organizations have been prevalent in Italy, especially in Southern Italy, the southern part of the country, for centuries and have affected the social and economic life of many Italian regions. There are major native mafia-like organiz ...
, particularly the Mafia or
Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...
, which ambush delivery trucks on the Autostrada A1, in
northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
, between
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, hijacking shipments. The cheese is ultimately sold in
southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
. Between November 2013 and January 2015, an organised crime gang stole 2039 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano from warehouses in northern and central Italy. Some banks accept Parmesan cheese as collateral for a loan. October 27 is designated "Parmigiano Reggiano Day" by The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano. This day celebrating the " king of cheeses" originated in response to the two earthquakes hitting the area of origin in May 2012. The devastation was profound, displacing tens of thousands of residents, collapsing factories, and damaging historical churches, bell towers, and other landmarks. Years of cheese production were lost during the disaster, about $50 million worth. To assist the cheese producers, Modena native chef Massimo Bottura created the recipe ''riso cacio e pepe''. He invited the world to cook this new dish along with him launching "Parmigiano Reggiano Day"—October 27.


Components

Parmigiano Reggiano has many
aroma An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a smell or a scent caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds generally found in low concentrations that humans and many animals can perceive v ...
-active compounds, including various
aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () (lat. ''al''cohol ''dehyd''rogenatum, dehydrogenated alcohol) is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred ...
s and butyrates.
Butyric acid Butyric acid (; from , meaning "butter"), also known under the systematic name butanoic acid, is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid with the chemical formula . It is an oily, colorless liquid with an unpleasant odor. Isobutyric acid (2-met ...
and isovaleric acid together are sometimes used to imitate the dominant aromas. Parmigiano Reggiano is also particularly high in
glutamate Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; known as glutamate in its anionic form) is an α-amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a Essential amino acid, non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that ...
, containing as much as 1.2 g of glutamate per 100 g of cheese. The high concentration of glutamate explains the strong
umami Umami ( from ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in me ...
taste of Parmigiano Reggiano.


Non-European Parmesan cheese

Parmesan cheese made outside of the European Union is a family of hard-grating cheeses made from cow's milk and inspired by the original Italian cheese. They are generally pale yellow in color and usually used grated on dishes such as American pizza and
Caesar salad A Caesar salad (also spelled Cesar, César and Cesare), also known as Caesar's salad, is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon ...
. Some American generic "Parmesan" is sold already grated and has been aged for less than 12 months. Within the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, the term ''Parmesan'' may only be used, by law, to refer to Parmigiano Reggiano itself, which must be made in a restricted geographic area, using stringently defined methods. In many areas outside Europe the name ''Parmesan'' has become genericised and may denote any of several hard Italian-style grating types of cheese. These cheeses, chiefly from the US and Argentina, are often commercialised under names intended to evoke the original, such as Parmesan, Parmigiana, Parmesana, Parmabon, Real Parma, Parmezan, or Parmezano. After the European ruling that "parmesan" could not be used as a generic name,
Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate (company), conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. on October 1, 2012, and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz on July ...
renamed its grated cheese "Pamesello" in Europe.


Non-European production

Parmesan cheese is defined differently in various jurisdictions outside of Europe. In the United States, the ''
Code of Federal Regulations In the law of the United States, the ''Code of Federal Regulations'' (''CFR'') is the codification of the general and permanent regulatory law, regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the ...
'' includes a Standard of Identity for "Parmesan and Reggiano cheese". This defines both aspects of the production process and of the final result. In particular, "Parmesan" must be made of cow's milk, cured for 10 months or more, contain no more than 32% water, and have no less than 32%
milkfat Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain. Composition Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. Butt ...
in its solids. The Canadian regulation similarly defines moisture and fat levels, but has no restriction on aging time. Kraft Foods is a major North American producer of grated "Parmesan" and has been selling it since 1945. Some non-European "Parmesan" producers have taken strong exception to the attempts of the European Union to globally control the trademark of the Parmesan name.


Adulteration controversy

Many American manufacturers have been investigated for allegedly going beyond the 4% cellulose limit (allowed as an
anticaking agent An anticaking agent is an additive placed in powdered or granulated materials, such as table salt or confectioneries, to prevent the formation of lumps ( caking) and for easing packaging, transport, flowability, and consumption. Caking mechanism ...
for grated cheese, 21 CFR 133.146). In one case, FDA findings found "no Parmesan cheese was used to manufacture" a Pennsylvania manufacturer's grated cheese labeled "Parmesan", apparently made from a mixture of other cheeses and cellulose. The manufacturer pleaded guilty and received a sentence of three years' probation, a $5,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.


Similar cheeses

Parmesan is the best-known of the grana-type cheeses, but there are others.


Grana Padano

Grana Padano is an Italian cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, but is produced mainly in
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, where ''Padano'' refers to the
Po Valley The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain (, , or ) is a major geographical feature of northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetian Plain, Venetic extension not actu ...
(''Pianura Padana''); the cows producing the milk may be fed
silage Silage is fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation (food), fermentation to the point of souring. It is fed to cattle, sheep and other ruminants. The fermentation and storage process is called ''ensilage'', ' ...
as well as grass; the milk may contain slightly less fat, milk from several different days may be used, and must be aged a minimum of 9 months.


Reggianito

Reggianito is an Argentine cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano. Developed by Italian-Argentine cheesemakers, the cheese is made in smaller wheels and aged for less time but is otherwise broadly similar.


See also

* List of Italian cheeses * Parmesan knife


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Italian cheeses Italian products with protected designation of origin Cow's-milk cheeses Umami enhancers Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union Cuisine of Emilia-Romagna Articles containing video clips Italian cuisine Mediterranean cuisine Western cuisine Brined cheeses