A Household Guide to Parmigiano Reggiano

Yes and no.

Parmigiano Reggiano is the original hard cheese made in a small part of northern Italy, using traditional recipes and methods, for over 1,000 years. Parmesan is the term a company MUST use for any cheese that is attempting to imitate Parmigiano Reggiano and is not made in that part of Italy or does not stick to the strict rules guiding the cheesemaking process.

If a cheese in the United States is called "Parmesan", it can contain artificial ingredients and preservatives, and can be used with milk made anywhere in the world through unregulated processes.

If the cheese is labeled Parmigiano Reggiano, and has the stamp on the rind, it can be tracked back to the dairy where it was made and is guaranteed to only contain three, natural ingredients: salt, cow's milk, and rennet.

It's all about how you intend to use it!

The two pound cut is a great size for household everyday use or for smaller dinner parties.

Our ten pound cut is most popular with restaurants and caterers that use a lot of Parmigiano Reggiano in their pasta, soup, or salad dishes. It can also be a great choice for large families or friend groups that want to split the piece amongst themselves and get a better price per pound.

Finally, the wheel is a fantastic showcase option for restaurants, delis, weddings, corporate events, or festivals. It can be used to cut custom cheese sizes for guests/clients, or heated to cook pasta in the wheel.

Yes! All Parmigiano Reggiano wheels must age for a minimum of 12 months before they can be checked and guaranteed as Parmigiano Reggiano. However, most people prefer the cheese at 18 months of aging or more.

All of our wheels and cuts are aged between 20 and 26 months. Why? We think this is when the cheese is most versatile. At this age, it is delicious when grated over pastas or into soups. However, it is also mild enough to be enjoyed on a charcuterie board or as a school snack.

As the cheese ages, to 36 or 48 months for example, it loses moisture and becomes grainier. The taste becomes stronger and more pronounced as well.

Once a wheel is cut into smaller pieces, the cheese will no longer age properly and will begin to dry out. For this reason, it is always best to buy cheese that is vacuum sealed so the quality of the cheese remains similar to quality it had when it was cut. If you find a 24-month aged cheese that is very dry and hard- it most likely has been in storage for a long period of time.

No! In fact, those white spots are signs that you have an excellent cut of Parmigiano Reggiano on your hands.

They are crystals of an amino-acid that pile up during the maturation process as the milk proteins break up. These crystals increase in number and size as the cheese matures, providing evidence that you have Parmigiano Reggiano that is aged and high quality.

We pride ourselves on bringing the best Parmigiano Reggiano to the United States that money can buy.

We are Italians, so we know the best dealers and the best producers, so we are able to get the highest quality wheels in any given production timeframe.

We also import in small batches to preserve quality. Our cuts don't stay in storage for very long, which means you are getting your piece really quickly after it was cut from the wheel.

When cuts sit for too long in storage, they can dry out and lose taste, which means many customers are getting pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano that are no longer as tasty as they once were!

Yes! Parmigiano Reggiano is so healthy because it does not contain artificial preservatives or additives, which means it is not shelf stable. Please refrigerate your piece as soon as it comes into your home or business.

We recommend leaving the cheese inside the vacuum-sealed package it arrived in until you are ready to eat it for the first time.

Once you open it, we recommend removing all of our packaging completely. When you are ready to put your Parmigiano Reggiano back into the refrigerator, it is best kept in a glass container or wrapped in good quality, food-grade plastic wrap. Minimize exposure to oxygen and your piece will last you a long, long time!

While the zone of production for Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy is very small- it can only be made in four provinces (equivalent to counties in the US)- the differences in geography within those provinces is quite varied and does impact the cheese.

For example, cheese made in the valley near the river has less yellow in its color. Parmigiano Reggiano made in the hills or mountains (where we buy our cheese) has a more nuanced flavor, and a darker yellow color, due to the different diet the cows enjoy.

Every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano has a three or four digit number stamped into its rind, and that number is the unique ID for the dairy that produced your wheel. You can use the Parmigiano Reggiano website to look up the dairy that produced your cut.

If you buy from us, we buy all of our cheese from Dairy 358 in the province of Reggio Emilia.

It's true, Parmigiano Reggiano is a really clean and healthy source of protein. Why? It is packed with vitamins and other nutrients.

For an adult following a healthy and balanced diet, Parmigiano Reggiano can account for 35% of your calcium requirements! Inside every 100 grams of the cheese is 32.4 grams of protein and significant amounts of Vitamins A, B6, B12, C and K.