I don’t know about you, but my childhood memory of parmesan cheese is still very vivid. It was a Thursday, and it came pre-grated in a green cardboard cylinder. It stayed in the fridge for a long time until the day mom decided to make spaghetti and opened it. It’s okay, admit it. You first parmesan cheese encounter was something like that, too. But America and I are no longer kids. Gourmet shops are no longer exclusive to the big cities and Italian restaurants now serve regional menus instead of pure classics. And since we are used to tasting a lot of things and making choices, perhaps it is time that we get to know Parmigiano Reggiano a little more; the cheese that is years away from being the parmesan that we know.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a medium-fat cheese that is made from partly skimmed and unpasteurized cow’s milk. It was initially made in a zone limited to the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, among other parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bolognia in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. This type of cheese is naturally prepared and no chemical preservatives or artificial additives were used in its production. It is a living product that matures and evolves in flavor, like fine wine.

The Parmigiano Reggiano is a simple tasting cheese, and can stand on its own. Just break off a small chunk off the brick, and you are ready to serve. But since everyone just loves the Parmigiano Reggiano, you can also pair it with a never ending list of other flavors that will highlight its subtle bite and sweetness.

Most Italian athletes include Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on their workout diet, as it is a great source of protein, calcium and phosphorous, and it contains other vitamins and minerals such as B12, copper and zinc. But the most interesting thing about the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the traditional way of opening, more appropriately called “cracking”, its huge wheel.

In case you have never seen a Parmigiano Reggiano cut open and wonders how these cutters were able to cut into such ragged and craggy wedges, well you will be surprised if I tell you that those wedges are there on purpose. Some people consider breaking into a 24-month old wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano like “cracking open happiness”. This is because traditionally, opening it would need a specific set of tools 5 different kinds of knives to make sure that the crystalline structure and crumbly texture remain preserved and intact inside.

The Parmigiano Reggiano is an expression of the cheese maker’s sensibilities and judgment the maker decides every phase of production with his hands. That makes the Parmigiano Reggiano more than just an ingredient for good pasta, but a product of an intimate process. So don’t stop grating. Try the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese today!

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