Parmigiano Reggiano at the dairy
Watching a wheel being born
The Parmigiano Reggiano, the "king of cheeses", is produced in a limited area between the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna west of the Reno and Mantua south of the Po, in the same way for almost nine centuries: the first evidence dates back to the twelfth century, when the Benedictine and Cistercian monks of the plain began to produce it. It is made with only three ingredients: raw milk from cows fed on local grass and hay, rennet and salt, without any additives, and it takes about 550 litres of milk to make a single wheel of about 40 kilos.
The most fascinating way to discover it is to visit a dairy, a "caseificio", early in the morning, when the cheese is made. In the large copper cauldrons shaped like an upside-down bell, the milk from the evening and the morning milking is heated with whey and rennet; the cheesemaker breaks the curd into tiny granules with the "spino", then cooks it, and the mass sinks to the bottom, where it is lifted with a cloth and cut in two: each cauldron makes two twin wheels. The wheels are placed in moulds that imprint the dotted inscription "Parmigiano Reggiano" on the rind, then immersed in brine for about three weeks, and finally aged on tall wooden shelves in silent "cathedrals" of cheese, for at least 12 months, and often 24, 36 or more. At 12 months, experts test each wheel by tapping it with a small hammer before it receives the fire brand.
Tip: the cheese is made from about 8 to 11 in the morning; many dairies offer tours with tasting of different ages, to be booked in advance.
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