Product Description

Grana Padano PDO is a hard and fine-grained cheese from raw cow’s milk. Its distinctive yellow logo must feature on all packages of grated and portioned cheese, thus guaranteeing the consumer that the product is the real Grana Padano PDO.

Type of Milk: Cow.

Production Area(s): Grana Padano PDO is produced in the Po River Valley (Pianura Padana) in Nothern Italy in the following  regions: Piedmont, Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto.

Appearance and Taste: Grana Padano PDO is cylindrical and has a thick smooth rind with a dark to natural golden-yellow color. The cheese is fine-grained and ranges from white to straw-yellow in color, with slightly visible eyes. The maturation is of  9 months minimum. The aroma is fragrant and it has a delicate flavor.

Origins: The history of Grana Padano PDO starts around the year 1000, when Cistercian monks, in Chiaravalle Abbey, found a way to store exceeding milk. The monks called it caseus vetus, or “old cheese”, but people, who had no familiarity with Latin, gave it another name, derived from the cheese’s compact, but granular appearance: they called it  “formaggio di grana” meaning “grainy cheese”. During the centuries, this cheese produced in the Po Valley became very popular and the method of transforming milk into “grana” continued to spread, becoming a pillar of the rural economy of Northern Italy.

Production: The milk, after being partially skimmed, is put into copper vats/cauldrons with a characteristic upside-down bell-shape. A natural whey and calf rennet are added to allow the milk to curdle. The curd is broken before starting the stirring and cooking process. The mass settles on the bottom of the  vat/cauldron and is left to rest for a maximum of 70 minutes. It is then lifted from the vat/cauldron,  cut into two equal parts and then each is wrapped in a linen cloth and  placed onto the finishing tables. The wheels are placed in molds for at least 48 hours. After this time in the molds, the wheels are left in brine for 14 to max. 30 days then placed in the ageing warehouses for a minimum of 9 months to over 20 months. During this time, they are brushed and turned regularly.

Gastronomy: Grana Padano PDO is a great table cheese and a key ingredient of many traditional Italian recipes. It is perfect grated on Pasta. A 50g portion of Grana Padano PDO provides 196 calories, but it also contains  many important nutrients that are not easily found in other foods with the same calories: Grana Padano PDO is considered an excellent food to include in a varied, correct and balanced daily diet. It should be stored in the least cool part of the fridge and wrapped in plastic or a cloth. Suggested Wine Pairings: Barbaresco, Barolo.