Did you know that Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, in the Bologna area left of the river Renoand in the Mantua area to the right of the river Po? On these farms, cows are fed a controlled diet based on locally produced fodder, in full compliance with the regulations of the Protection Consortium, which forbids the use of silage fodder, fermented feeds and animal-origin meals.
Approximately 550 liters of milk (132 gallons) are needed to produce one wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.The milk from the morning’s milking and that of the previous evening is collected in typical copper cauldrons, where coagulation takes place naturally by adding rennet and whey starter rich in natural milk enzymes. This is how the curd is created, which is then broken up and cooked until it reaches 55° to obtain a dense caseous mass that will become twin wheels. After branding and salting, the production cycle ends and the ageing of Parmigiano Reggiano begins, lasting a minimum of 12 months, the longest of all PDO cheeses.
