Parmiggiano Reggiano and Grana di Padano

Parmigiano and Grana:

Often copied, never equaled

There are two Italian cheeses we simply cannot live without: Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana di Padano. When you serve pasta, normally you sprinkle it with freshly grated Parmigiano or Grana. Both cheeses taste pretty similar and are protected with the European seal of ‘Denominazione di OrigineControllata’ (name of controlled origin). That means it is forbidden to call any other cheese Parmigiano or Grana. 

Of course this does not keep dairies all over the world – many of them in India – to produce “Parmesan”. If you see this word stamped on a packet of cheese you know it is a copy. In the futile attempt to save money I have tried these cheeses – to no avail. They just don’t taste right.

Luckily nowadays in India many supermarkets offer both Grana and Parmigiano, imported from Italy. Although they are quite costly, one piece lasts for several pasta dinners. Just make sure your family does not dig into this cheese when they feel like a snack. (Sometimes I discover my husband with a guilty expression in front of the fridge, holding a piece of Parmigiano). Honestly, I cannot blame him. They taste delicious.

Parmigiano and Grana are made in Italy for at least 800 years. According to his biographers the French playwright Molière, reached a point where he used to eat exclusively this cheese.  Parmigiano, also called the king of cheeses, is produced in the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma and in some part of Bologna and Mantova. Grana di Padano refers to the valley Pianura Padana, which covers a much wider area than the Parmigiano region.

Both cheeses need at least 8 months to ripen and they can last up to 2 years under the right conditions. Although they are similar, the younger Grana cheeses are less crumbly and milder in flavor than their more famous longer-aged relative. Grana Padano is widely considered inferior in quality than Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, I don’t taste a big difference. Both go equally well with pasta.

16 liters of milk produce 1 kg of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana. Their cylindrical wheels are branded with a fire iron. This indelible mark certifies and guarantees quality and origin. Like any hard cheese, Parmigiano and Grana offer plenty of calcium, phosphorus and proteins the human body can easily absorb. Nutritionists recommend them also for their various active lactobacillus cultures which help our digestive system.