My memory of the first encounter that I had with parmesan cheese is still very clear. It came pre-grated on a Thursday afternoon in a green cardboard cylinder. Mom put it in the fridge for a long time until one day she finally opened it and decided to make spaghetti. It’s okay, admit it. You first parmesan cheese encounter was something like that, too. But America and I are no longer kids. Gourmet shops are no longer exclusive to the big cities and Italian restaurants now serve regional menus instead of pure classics. And since we are used to tasting a lot of things and making choices, perhaps it is time that we get to know Parmigiano Reggiano a little more; the cheese that is years away from being the parmesan that we know.
Parmigiano Reggiano is a medium-fat cheese that is made from partly skimmed and unpasteurized cow’s milk. It was initially made in a zone limited to the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, among other parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bolognia in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is naturally made sans the chemical preservatives and artificial additives. It is a living product that matures and evolves in flavor, like fine wine.
You can have the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on its own. All you have to do is break off a small chunk, and that’s it. Although its taste is simple, it can complement a wide range of flavors as well.
Most Italian athletes include Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on their workout diet, as it is a great source of protein, calcium and phosphorous, and it contains other vitamins and minerals such as B12, copper and zinc. But what makes this cheese very interesting is the way it is opened, or “cracked” from the wheel.
If you have not seen a Parmigiano Reggiano cut open or if you are wondering how the cutters were able to get through such craggy and ragged wedges, well do not be surprised if I tell you that those wedges are there for a reason. For some, breaking into the 24-month old Parmigiano Reggiano wheel is like “cracking open happiness”. Why? Because traditionally, opening the Parmigiano Reggiano needs to use a particular set of tools five different types of knives to ensure that the internal crystalline structure and crumbly texture is preserved and intact.
The Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is both an expression of the cheese maker’s sensibilities as well as a product of sound judgment the maker decides every step of the production with his own hands. That makes the Parmigiano Reggiano more than just an ingredient for good pasta, but a product of an intimate process. Why stop grating? Go ahead and try the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese today!
Similar Posts:
- Parmigiano Reggiano: The Most Wanted Cheese
- Laughing Cow Cheese Vouchers
- A Look and Taste of Bucheron Cheese
- Pair Your Beer with Gouda Cheese
- Italian Mouth-Watering Tastes
- A Sumptuous Dinner with Gruyere Cheese
- Due Latte, Fontina, and Buffala Mozzarella: 3 Cheeses to Use in Pizza
- Mozzarella Di Bufala: The Pride of Italy
- Italian Cheese Reviews: Cappello del Mago
- How the Bufala Mozzarella Made Me Whole
Comments on this entry are closed.