Parmigiano Reggiano DOP - 96 Months

Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is a hard, cooked and unpressed cheese, produced with raw cow's milk obtained from animals reared in the production area, fed mainly with local fodder.

The production area of ​​Parmigiano Reggiano DOP includes the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the Reno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Milk from milking is used for production evening, which remains at rest in steel tanks throughout the night. After being partially skimmed, the evening milk is poured together with the morning milk, into the characteristic inverted bell-shaped copper boiler, without the addition of any additives. The natural whey starter is then added and heated to 33°C. Once the temperature is reached, calf rennet, obtained from the stomachs of suckling calves, is added until coagulation, which occurs in 10-15 minutes. The curd is broken into small granules and the cooking phase then begins at up to 55°C. The mass obtained after cooking and the falling of the granules is raised and cut in two; each mass is wrapped in a linen cloth and inserted into a wooden or Teflon mold. Here it takes on its characteristic shape and receives a casein plaque, incorporated into the surface of the rind which, thanks to an alphanumeric code, uniquely identifies each individual shape. This is followed by branding with the branding band, which imprints on the rind: the dot writing "PARMIGIANO REGGIANO", the dairy's serial number, month and year of production. Salting follows, which occurs by immersing the wheel for 16-20 days in a saturated solution of natural salt, and finally maturation on wooden boards in suitable rooms with controlled temperature and humidity, which lasts from a minimum of 12 months to over two years. Only the wheels that pass a very strict selection are branded with the oval fire mark at the age of 12 months.

The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP date back to the Middle Ages, thanks to the work of the Benedictine and Cistercian monks of the Po Valley who, between the Apennines and the shore right of the Po, they reclaimed the swamps and cultivated the pastures necessary to feed the cows. The processing method of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is substantially the same as nine centuries ago and uses the same essential ingredients (milk, rennet and salt), without any additives or preservatives.

Characteristics

Parmigiano Reggiano DOP has a cylindrical shape, a diameter of 35-45 cm,

height 20-26 cm, a minimum weight of 30 kg and an average weight of 40-42 kg. The rind is golden yellow in color. The texture is hard with a slightly straw to straw yellow colour.

The structure is extremely grainy, dry and crumbly, with a very evident flake fracture and a rich presence of natural crystals, characteristic of the very long maturation. The flavor is very intense, complex and persistent, with evolved notes of toasted dried fruit, spices, broth and slightly smoky hints. The aroma is deep and concentrated, with a strong flavor and a pleasant final spiciness.

Pairings

Parmigiano Reggiano DOP aged over 96 months is a tasting product, ideal to be savored pure, in small flakes. It pairs perfectly with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia DOP or very aged Modena DOP, chestnut honey, truffle honey, walnuts and other dried fruit, mustards and slightly sweet jams. For wine, important and mature reds, meditation wines, dessert wines, Marsala or other fortified wines are suitable, capable of accompanying the extraordinary intensity and aromatic persistence.

Milk, salt, rennet.