Parmigiano Reggiano PDO

With its unique characteristics, both from a geographical and human point of view, the Lower Po Valley is a territory that represents the guarantee of quality behind its protected designation of origin dairy products.

On the one hand, it’s a matter of the geographical environment, made up of the air, water, landscape and set of natural factors that contribute to the uniqueness and recognizability of the taste and aromas of its products. On the other hand, it’s the human heritage of centuries-old processing methods, know-how, and gestures, handed down from generation to generation.

Milk as a unique and essential element. The nobility of this ancient art, which embodies a history of over a thousand years, is based on an intact ritual. The milk from the morning and the previous evening is poured into the traditional, upside-down, bell-shaped copper boilers. About 550 litres of milk are needed for each round of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The curdling of the milk occurs slowly and naturally, thanks to the addition of rennet and whey, residues of the previous cheese making, and rich in natural milk enzymes. The curd is broken up by the skilful dexterity of master dairyman into tiny grains, with the aid of an ancient tool, a kind of whisk called a “spino”. However, it is the heat that, at the precise temperature of 55 degrees centigrade, induces the precipitation of the curd grains to the bottom, where they start to form a single mass. After approximately 50 minutes, the cheesemaker extracts the cheese mass, cuts it into two parts, and wraps them in a traditional natural fibre cloth. The cheese is, finally, placed within a mould, which gives it its final shape.