 his is a cooked and unpressed, semi-fat, hard cheese made from raw cow's milk. The cheese is encased within a yellowish-golden and slightly oily rind on which the brand name Parmigiano Reggiano is stencilled in small dots. This very flaky and highly soluble cheese is very finely grained and ranges in colour from ivory white to straw-yellow. A chief feature of Parmigiano Reggiano is the presence of small white crystals which are indicative of the lengthy ripening period (on average 24 months). The taste is delicate, fragrant and very savoury with a lactic and vegetal aroma. There is a vast array of literary, historical and scientific literature relating to this cheese. It first gets a literary mention by Giovanni Boccaccio, while later writers such as Moliére, Diderot and D'Alambert are full of praise for its organoleptic and nutritional properties. Called Parmesan in English, the cheese soon became known beyond the lands in which it is made thanks to the many visitors to Italy who relished its fine taste and quality. Parmigiano Reggiano is manufactured every day in traditional cheese-making plants in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, as well as some areas located in the provinces of Bologna and Mantua.
|
