Grana Padano vs Parmigiano Reggiano – Differences

The milk used for our cheese is raw, as excessive heat treatment would reduce the bacterial flora typical of the local area. Parmigiano Reggiano is therefore a natural, local product, right down to its tiniest particles – invisible to the naked eye – such as lactic bacteria. It is these bacteria that facilitate the creation of the cheese, giving the finished product its characteristic aroma.However, this is not enough. To allow the good (lactic) bacteria to multiply naturally for 24 hours, tradition dictates that the whey produced from the previous step should be added every day to the milk. This laborious process is the only way of avoiding using whey created in a laboratory. Finally, the rennet is never produced using microbial cultures; it is always natural, following a tradition that has continued for over nine centuries.

The milk used for our cheese is raw, as excessive heat treatment would reduce the bacterial flora typical of the local area. Parmigiano Reggiano is therefore a natural, local product, right down to its tiniest particles – invisible to the naked eye – such as lactic bacteria. It is these bacteria that facilitate the creation of the cheese, giving the finished product its characteristic aroma.However, this is not enough. To allow the good (lactic) bacteria to multiply naturally for 24 hours, tradition dictates that the whey produced from the previous step should be added every day to the milk. This laborious process is the only way of avoiding using whey created in a laboratory. Finally, the rennet is never produced using microbial cultures; it is always natural, following a tradition that has continued for over nine centuries.

With his hammer, the expert of the Consorzio taps the cheese at various points while listening carefully to the way the crust takes the blows. This tells him what is going on inside in much the same way as a stethoscope does. The cheese is then pierced with the screw-needle to extract a minute sample of the contents. The resistance of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese indicates something of its internal consistency, and the sample enables the expert to judge the aroma and degree of maturation. The sampling dowel is resorted to only in exceptional cases, when the aforementioned methods have failed to elicit a diagnosis.

Every day, milk from the evening milking session is left to rest overnight in large tanks, which allows the high-fat cream part to surface, for the production of butter.

After being poured into traditional copper boilers with a classic upturned bell shape, the skimmed evening milk is combined with veal rennet and whey inoculum, which is rich in natural lactic enzymes, from the previous day’s batch. The use of animal rennet – as opposed to vegetable or synthetic varieties – is considered compulsory by the consortium that oversees the production of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese, and is one of the most traditional elements of the production process.

No less than 16 litres of top-quality, local milk are needed to produce 1kg of Parmigiano Reggiano. The result is a nutrient-rich cheese full of protein, vitamins, phosphorus and calcium, all of which stay active throughout the long maturing process.

What’s more, Parmigiano Reggiano is rich in essential amino acids and is easily assimilated thanks to the presence of enzymes that modify the casein, making it readily digestible.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a perfect product for good health and good mental and physical wellbeing: it’s delicious, easily digestible and 100% natural.

Rich in nutrients, Parmigiano Reggiano is ideal for supporting growth in young children, for good health in adolescents and the elderly and for guaranteeing high energy levels for lovers of sport.

Once opened, the packet must be kept in the fridge. If covered with a tea towel, the cheese can last up to 7/10 days.

These are granules of Tyrosine, an amino acid which crystallises over a minimum maturing period of 16-18 months, resulting in the tiny crystals you feel when you eat the cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are both great Italian products and symbols of the country the world over. They are very similar cheeses, with practically identical technological processes used in their production. The maturing process and the diet of the dairy cows are the principal differences, and Parmigiano Reggiano has a smaller area of production and is subject to more stringent regulations in terms of preservatives and labelling.

To sum up:

• Parmigiano is a bit fattier than Grana. For the production of Grana, both the morning and evening milk are skimmed.
• Grana Padano matures faster and is regarded as “Riserva” when it is aged 20 months, whereas Parmigiano Reggiano obtains its noblest flavor at 48 months.
• Although the cows whose milk produces both Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano are mainly fed fresh grass and hay, there are some differences in forage, mainly due to the diverse quality and composition of the meadows where the cows graze.

PARMESAN

According to FDA laws, any cow’s milk cheese that has a hard, brittle rind and granular texture, and grates easily, can be labeled parmesan in the U.S. The cheese’s origin plays no part in labeling laws, so producers from Idaho are just as free to use the term parmesan as those importing cheese from Italy.

Not only does a hard cheese not need to come from Italy to be classified as parmesan, it doesn’t even need to be made from fresh whole milk. Instead, reconstituted dry milk, skim milk, and/or cream are also all acceptable.

PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO

Parmigiano-Reggiano is the style most of us think we’re referring to when using the name parmesan. It’s the highest quality of all Italian hard cheeses, and the one locals refer to as “The King of Cheeses” — just don’t tell the Roquefort-loving French.

To comply with DOP guidelines, Parmigiano-Reggiano has to be made in one of two northern Italian regions: Emilia-Romagna, which is home to Parma (hence the name), or the Mantova province of Lombardy.

The 100-percent cow’s milk cheese must age for a minimum of one year, though periods regularly extend to 18, 24, and even 36 months. At this point, Parmigiano-Reggiano is ready for official inspection. If it passes, the cheese’s name, production date, and a DOP seal are stamped into its hard, umami-rich rind.

GRANA PADANO

Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano is a golden, hard-rind cheese made using cow’s milk. The production region is much larger than that of the King of Cheeses, and, at nine months, the minimum aging requirement is more relaxed.

As a result, Grana Padano has a slightly sweeter, less-concentrated flavor than Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is also more affordable.

Ferrarini tells the History of Parmigiano Reggiano.

The Protection Consortium is an association of all cheese makers. It is officially tasked with awarding marks and labels to products that conform with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) specifications, with certification from a third-party control body.

The consortium is responsible for checking that marks are used correctly and for protecting against counterfeiting. It has the objective of spreading and promoting knowledge and consumption of PDO products and improving and perfecting them in order to preserve their characteristic features.

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Parmigiano Reggiano is a PDO product. The acronym stands for Protected Designation of Origin, and indicates products intrinsically linked to the geographical area from which they take their name. They are characterised by very specific conditions: the production of raw materials and their transformation into the finished product must occur in the area from which they take their name, and the quality or characteristics of the product must be able to be traced back to the geographical area of origin, in terms of natural or human factors such as climate, soil quality and local expertise.

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