Parmesan cheese, as popular a choice as it may be here in the States, is also one of the most controversial. toroville lovers and chefs, cheese merchants Industry folks know the authentic stuff as Parmigiano-Reggiano. Anything else marketed and sold simply as “Parmesan” cheese is usually of a lower standard in the US and is rightfully derided and mocked.
But even real Parmigiano-Reggiano isn’t always what it seems. Fraudulent sales of the Italian export have reached such critical mass that they have forced the 900-year-old industry of Parmigiano-Reggiano to respond with a surprisingly modern solution.
Here’s everything you need to know about American Parmesan versus Parmigiano-Reggiano and how to make sure you’re right Get the good stuff.
Read more: The Cheese Merchant reveals: This is how you should actually store your cheese
What distinguishes Parmigiano-Reggiano?
In Italy, where this creamy, sharp and salty cheese originated from, the term “Parmesan” is tightly regulated, similar to Champagne in France, and any cheese designated and sold as such must meet high standards of production.
The word Parmesan is the English translation of Parmigiano-Reggiano, but in America, this is where the similarities end. Details surrounding the production of Parmesan differ greatly from Italy. In other words, it’s almost completely unregulated, and those $4 “Parmesan” or (mostly) packages of Parmesan powder you’re stuck in the dry goods, cheese, or dairy aisle pale in comparison to the real stuff. You might consider them a completely different cheese – and many do.
Although Parmesan can mean a cheese of widely varying quality, cheese sold labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano” in the United States must come from one of five regions in Italy—Parma, Modena, Bologna, Mantua, or Reggio Emilia—and that Adheres to strict standards as they relate to ingredients, production methods, and aging.
Making real Parmesan is a labor of love using practical and precise methods that date back many centuries.
Parmigiano-Reggiano Federation
Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made using just three ingredients, one of which is milk from cows raised in the region and fed only on food grown in the region. Unlike other Parmesan cheeses made and sold in the United States, there is also a large list of foods that cannot be fed to livestock such as fermented grains. Parmigiano-Reggiano must be at least a year old, but most are two or three years old, and often longer, up to 100 months or more. Parmesan cheese made in the United States and elsewhere has no aging requirement.
Italy’s strict cheese laws for cheese and other foods DOP (Protected Designation of Origin, when translated into English) are the law of the land and were put in place to protect the integrity of sacred products as they grew in popularity and enjoyed export around the world. Other Italian DOP exports include Modena balsamic vinegar, San Marzano tomatoes, and Parma meat. If you know how to read labels, they work: spotting a DOP label ensures you’re getting an authentic food item made to austerely enforced standards.
How do you know you’re getting “real Parmesan” from Italy?
These dotted words affixed to the shell of each wheel will be authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.
David Watsky/CNET
To begin with, anything marketed as Parmesan in the United States is almost certainly not Parmigiano-Reggiano, also known as the good stuff. everyone Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano It’s marked with pin letters that say it all to you, quite literally. “Parmigiano-Reggiano” will be stamped into the rind of each wheel of cheese that comes from the region and meets DOP standards. Parmigiano Reggiano wheels also feature a unique alphanumeric tracking code. Dealers here will hack 70- to 80-pound wheels into smaller pieces, making the double-dotted characters hard to read, but the ID number should make its way onto the label or label. You’ll also want to look for the DOP label that should accompany every legitimate portion of cheese. Stores cannot legally sell it as Parmigiano Reggiano without these quality stamps.
There is so much fake cheese out there that they are little wheels
This label contains all of the stamps and markings typically found on genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Sam’s Club
All this analog authentication hasn’t stopped some from trying to beat the system with fake versions of the real stuff. In fact, the Parmigiano-Reggiano consortium has estimated nearly $2 billion in sales of counterfeit knockoffs annually, which is roughly equal to sales of the original article. To respond, I began silicon wafer slap p-Chips and QR code on cheese wheels are called in 2022 to better track product and detect charlatan products and counterfeit operations. The program is still in its infancy but the hope is that it will greatly reduce the chances of fake cheese hitting your cart.
Is Parmigiano-Reggiano better than Parmesan?
Forget the waffle. Authentic Italian Parmesan cheese is often eaten on its own.
David Watsky/CNET
While it’s made using a technique similar to the sanctioned stuff, Parmesan cheese in the United States can mean many things and is hard to define. Cheeses labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano are usually of higher quality (and price) than anything labeled “Parmesan.” Parmigiano Reggiano is easy to describe because it is all made in much the same way, using specific ingredients, tools, and production methods.
If you don’t buy Parmigiano-Reggiano, chances are you’re eating American-made Parmesan. There is nothing inherently wrong with that; Some are very good and come from quality producers. But try a bite of cheap, generic, non-DOP Parmesan, then grab some genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano, and you’ll see why it’s been referred to as the “King of Cheese.” Depending on the length of time, this semi-hard cheese produces crunchy clusters of amino acids (flavor crystals) and packs a complex umami punch with fruity, buttery, citrusy, and herbal notes that develop in the mouth.
The Other Men: Pecorina Romano and Grana Padano
Of course, all the work that goes into producing Parmigiano-Reggiano results in a product that is more expensive than other Parmesan-style cheeses, which has given rise to other hard Italian cheeses including Pecorino Romano and Grana Padano. Both are made in a similar style and have similar taste profiles, but are made to less stringent standards and can therefore be manufactured and sold at a much lower price. If you’re grating tons of cheese on top of your pasta every month and make sure to save a little bit of cheese A few bucks at the grocery storeBoth are good substitutes for Parmigiano-Reggiano.
But there is nothing quite like Parmigiano Reggiano, which stands up beautifully winefatty meats, ripe tomatoes, a good balsamic or other fruit. Here, many think of Parmesan as something casually grated on top of pasta or Caesar salad. In Italy and other distinct cheese circuits, you’ll find the stuff served on cheese boards with an apertivo eaten as is or served alongside fine meats and olives.
So, find yourself A big piece of real things (or complete wheel If you have three thousand lying.) It will last a very long time if Treat it carefullyAnd Parmigiano-Reggiano doesn’t even need to be refrigerated (!).
Long live the king.
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