Parmesan Cheese

Guide Note

Parmesan is a hard Italian cheese, aged two years with salt as its only additive. Within Europe, only cheese from several specific regions in Italy can use the name "Parmigiano-Reggiano." In the United States, several products are sold as Parmesan, despite not conforming to the rules established by the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Consorzio.

Fast Facts

1. Aged for a minimum of 12 months
2. Not pasteurised
3. Parmesan was mentioned in Boccaccio's Decameron
4. Made from cow's milk
5. Parmesan has a hard exterior and a softer interior

Raw milk is mixed with whey and heated in large copper vats. After curdling, the mixture is broken up into fine pieces and further heated. The cheese is formed into a wheel and spends up to one month absorbing salt in a brine bath. The cheese then goes through the aging process.

Despite the labels, many American parmesan cheese products do not fit the Italian definition of Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese. Most notably, pre-grated parmesan cheeses have a shorter aging time and have a higher salt content than Italian Parmigiana-Reggiano.