, of Italian Parmigiano, designates a hard cheese from cow's milk, particularly suitable for rubbing as peppering cheese.

The named-giving extra hard cheese Parmigiano Reggiano is protected since 30 October 1955 with the doping seal, since 12 June 1996 European Union far as g.U./PDO product, it has at least 32% fat ith Tr.

History

The Parmigiano has a very long tradition, historical sources to prove that it is manufactured in the origin region for at least 800 years in almost unchanged form. Thus and describes for example Giovanni Boccaccio mentions in 13. Century the Parmigiano in particular already in its famous Decamerone: "Â… et eravi una montagna di formaggio Parmigiano grattugiato, sopra la quale stavan genti, che niuna altra cosa facevan, che far maccheroni e ravioli. (""Â… and there was (there) a mountain of rubbed on which people stood, which did nothing else, as Makkaroni and Ravioli to make. ")

The Parmigiano Reggiano is produced today in several provinces of upper Italy, which production supervised by the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, which 512 dairies with 5.480 milk producers are attached. Today to the 3 million loaves of this cheese are produced, result in annually in the case of an average weight of 38 kg per cheese to the 114,000 t.

Production

For a kilogram cheese is needed about 16 litres of milk. The untreated, twice daily milked, silo-free raw milk is brought within two hours after milking into the cheese factory. There the milk of the abendlichen milking course rests up to the morning in low, large copper boilers, whereby it up-frames in natural way. The following morning the cream layer is taxed away and in such a way received teilentrahmte milk with the full milk of morning milking is enriched. Now the milk mixture in boilers is carefully warmed up and added milk enzyme by the cheese process of the Vortages. Subsequently, by addition by calf lab coagulating is introduced. With a large, spino balloon filter mentioned the run milk is divided to fine granulates, it develops the so-called break. This is continued to warm up under most careful control to 33-34"° C, in order to extract from it by evaporation water. After terminating the heating the cheese granulates sinks on the soil of the boiler, where it forms a compact mass, which is lifted in large cloths from the boiler, whereby the surplus whey drips off. The fine, lens-large break is heated up on 55"°C. The cheese mass rests now for two to three days forms mentioned in chamfering cerium, afterwards the developed loaves are dipped during a period repeated into a Salzlake. Here the cheese takes up the salt quantity necessary for taste and long shelf-life. Afterwards the cheese comes to ripe ones into air-conditioned stockrooms or cellars, where it stores at least 12 months, normally however two years and longer. During the entire ripe time the wheels must be maintained, turned again and again and controlled. After the one year's minimum ripe time each individual cheese is examined by experts. The paste must mature this without hole formation, is judged by the smell, the sound when knocking off and by withdrawal of drill core samples. Only perfect loaves continue to mature and may be acted as Parmigiano Reggiano. The committee goes majority into the pig mast, which become so fed pigs the production of the famous Parmaschinkens used, a smaller part within Italy under the designation retinato acted, arrived however hardly abroad. Only more examined and for well found Parmigiano receives the seal of the consortium and may as Parmigiano Reggiano be acted.

Use and keeping

Parmesan is considered as the most versatile all cheese and it gives whole example books, which are occupied only with Except the ripe duration affected above all the season was won, in that the used milk the taste of the Parmesans, under Gourmets is considered to Herbstparmesan as the best one, but depending upon intended purpose also can be preferred from other months. Parmigiano Reggiano is naturally particularly well-known as spicy rubbing cheese in many Italian Pasta courts, it tastes however at least just as good, if he is planed in thin lamellas over or cooked vegetable such as asparagus or Fenchel. Also purely, in bits broken and with a breath Aceto balsamico sprayed he is delicious. Parmesan is also a classical component of many Pesto prescriptions. Among connoisseurs it is considered as Unart to cut Parmesan with a normal measurer or wire on the contrary it should be angeritzt and broken with a special short, Parmesanmesser, so that the grown structure remains. As for younger Parmesan foam wines are suitable such as Prosecco and light, fruchtige red wines such as Beaujolais or Valpolicella, for long-matured cheese are rather recommended the heavier red wines.

keep themselves about three weeks long in the warmest part of the refrigerator, if they in a food-genuine plastic bag or foil are protected against drainage, should however the covering be repeatedly changed. To be rubbed Parmesan should before the use, it always only directly loses otherwise much of its incomparable flavour.

Variants

Since only the name Parmigiano Reggiano is protected, also different hard cheese is acted of very different quality as Parmesan or under similar names. The USA and Argentina are the largest producers of "wrong "Parmesan. Also with us quite is admits peppering cheese Pamesello common by Kraft of the Foods group with their Pasta mark, which has to do however likewise nothing with genuine Parmigiano. Geschmacklich relatively close at the original or anyhow also a qualitatively high-quality cheese is that approximately eight to nine months matured Bioland Parmesino of the ecological dairies (–MA).

To confound with Parmesan in recent time in its place the moved other Italian hard cheese from cow's milk, the Granas (Grana Padano, Grana Trentino) are not multiple. It is disputed among connoisseurs whether these achieve the geschmackliche density of the Parmigiano.

In the Swiss Sbrinz is a further similar hard cheese. Also there is it in several maturing stages.

Related links

• Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano (Italian and English)
• The trims Cheese of English articles for Gourmets with information about seasonal taste differences, Weintipps among other things

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