Everything You Need To Know About Parmigiano Reggiano

by Charlie Mir

Recently our mentor Gianni Caprioli opened a 72-month cheese wheel in Hong Kong at the Mercato Gourmet Gran Selezione located in Peninsula arcade.? We invited some friends to come and see this amazing opening of this 6-year-old cheese.

I decided to touch base on this topic this week.? This is because of the amount of fake cheese in the market.? Imitation parmesan with no rind, no salt crystals. The best part is they say Parmesan from Italy but packaged in another country.?

Now there are only 300 certified producers who make Parmigiano Reggiano also known as parmesan cheese in Emilia-Romagna Lombardy. Under strict regulations.

Produced from cows' milk and aged at least 12 months. It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces?of Parma?and Reggio Emilia (Parmigiano?is the Italian?adjective for Parma and?Reggiano?that for Reggio Emilia). In addition to Reggio Emilia and Parma, it is also produced in the part of Bologna west of the?River Reno?and in?Modena?(all of the above being located in the Emilia-Romagna region)

Both?Parmigiano Reggiano?and Parmesan are?protected designations of origin?(PDO) for cheeses produced in these provinces under Italian and European law.?Outside the EU, the name "Parmesan" can legally be used for similar cheese, with only the full Italian name unambiguously referring to PDO?Parmigiano Reggiano.

It has been called the “King of Cheeses”?and “practically the perfect food”, ?picked as the best cheese in the world.

The crystals and the crunchiness you find in are amino acid or salt crystals which help give the umami taste.? The longer the cheese the more crystal form and the more valuable they become.

For the people who are lactose intolerant, you may have heard the rumor that parmesan cheese is lactose free, making it safe for you to eat.? Good news that the rumors are true! Or rather, it is true Parmesan contains such low amount of lactose it doesn’t not affect those who are lactose intolerant.

Other countries have different laws in the US, you can legally call something Parmesan without following the strict Italian rules for Parmigiano Reggiano. For example American Parmigiano can be aged for 6 month but in Italy it must be 12months.

But grated cheese is even further from the real thing. Some companies use fillers and mix in ?rice flours or cellulose. This is used to keep the cheese from sticking together.? Now cellulose should usually be kept to 2% to 4%. Companies are not required to list it on the packing. Nobody checking from food and environmental if the cheese is safe.? It was an pass article we read in the US Bloomberg; founded one of the cheese from a giant supermarket brand to have more than 8%.? That something to think about next time you buy those fancy package of grated cheese.?

Now here another story it turns out the Parmesan cheese is a huge 2 billion dollar a year counterfeit business with people from other countries selling it and making it and telling you it real Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano.? Phony cheeses are hurting the real Parmigiano industry.

Please consider when you buy parmesan cheese, you ensure it is the real thing.? Make sure it the authentic cheese and not those bags of already shredded or dry packed parmesan cheese.? Also make sure the parmesan has the rind on the end it should not be sold without.

The rind is a protective layer that develops on the outside of the cheese wheel as it ages. While it is edible, it can become too hard and tough to chew (think of it as the crust on a loaf bread). Still, Parmigiano Reggiano rinds are packed full of flavours and can be used to?enrich sauces, soups, stews and more.