WHERE IT IS BORN

A territory, that of the lower Po Valley, which represents a guarantee of the quality at the base of PDO dairy products, with unique characteristics, combined both in the geographical environment and in the importance of the human factor.

On the one hand, the geographical environment, in fact, includes air, water, the conformation of the territory and the set of natural factors that contribute to the uniqueness of a flavor and the recognizability of a taste. On the other hand, the human heritage given by the knowledge of centuries-old processing methods and the wisdom of gestures handed down for generations.

PRODUCTION

Milk as a unique and essential element. The nobility of this ancient art, which embodies a history of a thousand years, is based on a still intact ritual. The milk from the morning and the previous evening is poured into the typical upside-down bell-shaped copper boilers.

About 550 liters of milk are needed for each form of Parmigiano Reggiano. The coagulation of the milk takes place slowly and naturally thanks to the addition of rennet and whey, residue of the previous cheese making and rich in natural lactic ferments.

The curd is fragmented by the skilful dexterity of the master dairyman into tiny grains, with an ancient tool called spino. But it is the heat that, at a temperature of 55 degrees centigrade, induces the precipitation of the caseous granules on the bottom, forming a single mass. After 50 minutes the cheesemaker extracts the cheese mass, proceeds to cut it into two parts, wrapping them in the typical natural fiber cloth. Formed in this way, the cheese is placed in a mold which will give it its final shape.

THE TERRITORY: A DEEP LINK

The great biodiversity that makes Parmigiano Reggiano unique is also found in its area of ​​origin where the wide plains of stable meadows join the mildness of the prolific hills of alfalfa up to the heights of the first Apennine mountains. From this deep bond in a protected and respected environment, Parmigiano Reggiano is born.

THE VALUE OF TIME

The minimum aging is in fact 12 months, the longest of all PDO cheeses, to continue aging for up to 40 months or more.

CONTROLLED FARMINGS

The feeding of the animals is taken care of in compliance with a regulation that prevents the use of ensiled fodder, fermented foods and flours of animal origin.