Description
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Cheese
About Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Cheese
Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the great cheeses of the world. Made in a small corner of northern Italy using methods that have barely changed for centuries, it’s hard, crumbly, wonderfully savoury and full of those little crunchy crystals that I love finding in a well-aged cheese.
You might know it simply as Parmesan, but proper Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is something very particular indeed.
Its story stretches back nearly 900 years to the monasteries around Parma and Reggio Emilia. The monks needed a way of preserving the large quantities of milk produced by their herds, so they developed a big, hard cheese that could be stored for months and transported over long distances.
And it worked rather well.
By the 13th and 14th centuries, Parmigiano Reggiano was already famous. It even appears in Boccaccio’s Decameron, written in the 1300s, where he describes a mountain made entirely from grated Parmesan.
Frankly, that sounds like my sort of mountain.
Protected by PDO Tradition
Parmigiano Reggiano has Protected Designation of Origin status, which means the name can only be used for cheese made within its designated area: the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, along with parts of Bologna and Mantua.
And the rules are strict.
The milk must come from within the region, the cows’ feed is controlled and silage is forbidden. The cheese is made from raw cow’s milk using natural whey starter and calf rennet, with salt added during brining. No preservatives or additives are allowed.
Every wheel must be matured for at least 12 months before it can even be called Parmigiano Reggiano.
At that point, each one is inspected. The wheels that meet the standard keep the famous dotted PARMIGIANO REGGIANO markings around their rind. It’s effectively the cheese’s identity card and means that even a piece cut from a huge wheel carries a clue to where it came from.
Made Slowly, with Care
Parmigiano Reggiano is a serious bit of cheesemaking.
A finished wheel weighs around 40kg and takes roughly 550 litres of milk to produce.
The evening milk is left to settle naturally overnight, allowing some of the cream to rise to the surface. The partially skimmed milk is then combined with fresh whole milk from the following morning and poured into those wonderful traditional copper vats.
Natural whey starter from the previous day’s cheesemaking is added, followed by calf rennet. Once the curd has formed, it’s broken into incredibly tiny pieces and heated.
The curd eventually sinks to the bottom of the vat in one enormous mass. It’s lifted out in cloth, divided, moulded and then brined before beginning the longest part of the process: waiting.
The wheels mature on shelves for at least 12 months, but ours is aged for at least 24 months, giving it considerably more depth, nuttiness and those all-important crunchy crystals.
Sometimes you really can’t rush a good thing.
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Our 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano has a firm, crumbly texture that breaks naturally into irregular shards rather than neat slices.
And then there are the crystals.
Those tiny crunchy crystals are one of my favourite things about properly matured hard cheese. They develop naturally during ageing and give you that wonderful little crunch against the otherwise slightly creamy texture.
The aroma is warm and savoury, with butter, toasted nuts and hints of hay and dried fruit. Taste it and you’ll find layer after layer: nuttiness, caramel, cooked milk and plenty of wonderful umami.
There’s also a gentle sweetness underneath all that savoury intensity, which is one of the reasons I think eating a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano on its own is seriously underrated.
It isn’t just for grating over pasta!
How to Serve and Pair Parmigiano Reggiano
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: I like to keep things Italian and serve it with Prosecco. The bubbles and acidity are brilliant against the rich, savoury cheese.
- Something a little different: A Belgian-style dubbel works surprisingly well, with its caramel and malty flavours picking up the nuttier notes in the cheese.
- On the plate: Break it into rough chunks and serve it with figs, dried apricots or a drizzle of really good aged balsamic vinegar from Modena. Simple and absolutely delicious.
- In the kitchen: Obviously, Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the great cooking cheeses. Grate it over pasta, risotto, soup, roasted vegetables… frankly, there aren’t many savoury dishes that aren’t improved by a bit of Parmigiano.
Jen’s note: Did you know that Italian banks have actually accepted wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano as collateral for loans? Properly matured and stored, the cheeses have real value, and there have even been special bank warehouses filled with thousands of wheels. Forget gold bars — I know which vault I’d rather be locked inside!
Buying Parmigiano Reggiano
- Brand or Producer: Colla
- Product name: Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
- Milk: Cow
- Country: Italy
- Region: Piacenza
- Strength: Strong
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £5.10
- 500g wedge, £25.50
- Larger pieces available on request
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, rennet, salt
