Cheese

About Parmigiano Reggiano#

Parmigiano Reggiano can vary even with the rules set out to control production.

I was able to spend time with a family that produces 4 wheels of cheese a day from cows that they raise, feed and milk daily. Their production was incredible. Everything is done manually, down to flipping the wheels over in the aging facility. The whey was used to feed the pigs that turned into dinner. There was a real sense of pride in their operation and the quality shined through.

Then I spent time at a Parmigiano “factory”. The milk was being trucked in from all over Parma, still following the guidelines. It was a great deal bigger of an operation and to me, was more mechanical. It lacked the care of human touch.

You have to remember, the quality of cheese depends on the quality of milk. Milk is better in spring when the cows are feeding on greener grasses grown in Parma. You will notice a higher fat concentration and typically a softer texture to the cheese, compared to a Parmigiano produced in November. If you really wanted to, each rind is stamped with the month/year when made and if possible it’s always going to be better in March-May.

And then you have the really amazing Parmigiano from Red Cows or Vacche Rosso. This cheese is made from a specific old breed that produces some of the most flavorful Parmigiano that I’ve ever tasted. The rind should say Vacche Rosso, if it’s real.

And, as most have said, age will have an effect on taste, the older the cheese the drier it will be. There is a turning point, I really like 7 year Parmigiano but I’ve tasted 14 year that I didn’t really enjoy.

Taken from this reddit thread .