Parmesan cheese

Parmesan cheese is traditionally made from cow’s milk and is aged at least 12 months. US Code of Federal Regulations, defines anything called "parmesan" must be a cow's milk cheese with a "granular texture" and a "hard and brittle rind" and have been aged for at least 10 months. In addition, the curd must have been cut into pieces "no larger than wheat kernels."

The cheese is darker yellow than Emmental but the texture is more dense and compact. It has a crumbly, grainy texture and may vary in color from light to dark yellow. Parmesan cheese is fruity and nutty in taste, and it is mostly consumed grated over pastas or used in soups and risottos although it can also be eaten on its own as a snack.

Parmesan is the English and American translation of the Italian word Parmigiano-Reggiano. There is also evidence that in the 17th to 19th centuries Parmigiano-Reggiano was called Parmesan in Italy and France. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is named after the provinces in which it is made, namely Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua.

Parmesan is made only from April to November and must be aged at least two years. At this age it has a rich, savory flavor and is consumed as a snack or after meals, as well as in cooking.
Parmesan cheese

Parmesan cheese manufacturing

In manufacturing of Parmesan cheese, the milk at least fifty cows is required for one cheese. And as one farmer rarely affords pasture for such as number, it is usual for the farmers to club together. Milk is first standardized to 11.8% fat and pasteurized.

The summer cheese, which is the best, is made of the evening milk, after having been skimmed in the morning and at noon.

The starter, consisting of thermopihilic organisms Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is added at the 1% level. After a ripening period of 10 minutes rennet is added at the rate of 190 ml/1000 kg of milk.

After several hours the lactic acid causes the milk to ‘set’ to form a smooth curd. The curd is allowed to settle, pushed to the end of to form a heap, and about half of the whey is drained.

The curd is cut and then pressed in either coarse muslin or nylon draining bags or in cheesecloth lined perforated molds to give a fresh unripened cheese.

The pressed curd is salted for about two weeks in brine or dry salted. The cheese is dried and cured in a cool, ventilated room at 10° C for at least 10 months.

The best kind of cheese is kept for three or four years before it is taken to market.

To help this very hard cheese ripen satisfactorily over a period of between 10 months and several years the exterior is rubbed with an oily mixture that gradually causes a dark green to black exterior to develop.
Parmesan cheese manufacturing

History of Parmesan cheese

Parmesan is probably the most famous of all Italian cheeses. The history of Parmesan cheese dates back to the twelfth century during Romans times, when Italy’s Po River Valley was developed by Benedictine monasteries and later joined by Cistercian monks.

The Benedictine order was founded in central Italy in the sixth century and in the orderly and controlled environment of the monasteries, they made many agricultural advancements throughout the Middle Ages. 

During twelfth century the pastures of Emilia and Lombardy were carpeted with clover and lucerne, a delicious grassy with perky blue blooms. Both quickly fattened cows and were credited with increasing the volume of milk. They were important in the production of Parmesan.

Written records and literature from the fourteen century onward refer to grated Parmesan cheese, cheese that was already in wide demand abroad by the fourteen century.

Parmesan became the stuff of legend renowned for its taste and adaptability. King Henry VIII once received some top-flight Parmesan as a gift from Pope Julius II to secure his aid in a war against France. 

Bartolommeo Scappi, in 1570 reports that menus for the papal court regularly contain thick slices Parmesan cheese. Grated Parmesan has in fact become de rigueur for dressing pasta, mixed for those who can afford it – with costly spices, primarily sugar and cinnamon.
History of Parmesan cheese