I don’t know about you, but my childhood memory of parmesan cheese is still very vivid. It was a Thursday, and it came pre-grated in a green cardboard cylinder. It stayed in the fridge for a long time until the day mom decided to make spaghetti and opened it. Admit it. Your first encounter with parmesan cheese was something like that as well. But I, and America, have grown up. No longer are gourmet ships restricted to the biggest cities while Italian restaurants now serve other regional dishes and not just the classics. And since we are used to tasting a lot of things and making choices, perhaps it is time that we get to know Parmigiano Reggiano a little more; the cheese that is years away from being the parmesan that we know.
Parmigiano Reggiano is a medium-fat cheese that is made from partly skimmed and unpasteurized cow’s milk. It was initially made in a zone limited to the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, among other parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bolognia in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. This type of cheese is naturally prepared and no chemical preservatives or artificial additives were used in its production. It is a living product that matures and evolves in flavor, like fine wine.
The Parmigiano Reggiano is a simple tasting cheese, and can stand on its own. Simply break off small chunks, make paper thin silvers or cut it into bite size slices, and you are ready to serve! Everyone loves the taste of this cheese, and you can even pair it with a long list of other flavors that will highlight its sweetness.
This cheese is a staple for every Italian athlete’s diet, because it has protein, calcium and phosphorous, and it contains other vitamins and minerals such as B12, copper and zinc. But the main attraction of this cheese is its traditional opening, called “cracking.
If you have not seen a Parmigiano Reggiano cut open or if you are wondering how the cutters were able to get through such craggy and ragged wedges, well do not be surprised if I tell you that those wedges are there for a reason. Some people consider breaking into the 1-year old Parmigiano Reggiano wheel as “cracking open happiness”. Why? Because traditionally, opening the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel makes use of a set of official tools five different types of knives in order to make sure that the internal crystalline structure and crumbly texture is preserved and left intact.
Carefully crafted by artisans, each wheel of the Parmigiano Reggiano is an expression of the cheese maker’s sensibilities and sound judgment the maker decides every stage of production with his fingertips. More than just a pasta ingredient, the Parmigiano Reggiano is a product of an intimate endeavor. So don’t stop grating. Get the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese today!
