The master cheesemaker will scoop up a handful of curds and squeeze them together to test how they hold. After a few days, the wheels are immersed in a salt brine where it absorbs salt and the rind hardens.
Photo by Daisy Meager. Parmigiano Reggiano is usually sold vacuum-packed to best preserve the flavour and texture. Once opened, wrap in clingfilm plastic wrap and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, younger cheeses which are also less expensive are great and more economical for cooking.
Parmesan adds a salty, umami element in crusts for meat or fish. It can hold its own so works well with rich meats like a rack of lamb with a rosemary, breadcrumb and Parmesan coating , or poultry. Try this roasted chicken recipe and swap gravy for a buttery lemon, herb and Parmigiano Reggiano sauce. Dairy cows in the region are allowed to feed on this untainted natural growth only from spring to fall; in winter, they eat dried hay made from the same fields.
Some practices that are widespread in the American dairy industry—like the use of chemical and medicinal supplements including antibiotics and hormones , or feeding livestock on diets containing animal by-products or silage a wet feed made by fermenting grasses, grains, cereals, or corn, many of them not part of the natural diet of cattle —are forbidden. By law, the cheese may contain only three ingredients: milk that is utterly pure and unadulterated, salt, and rennet, a natural enzyme that makes milk curdle and is used in almost all aged cheeses.
But it doesn't stop there: Parmigiano Reggiano is also a long-aged cheese, averaging 20 months. To be labeled simply "Parmigiano Reggiano," it must mature for a minimum of 12 months.
A one-year-old Parmesan will have a smooth texture and mild flavor, best suited for grating or incorporating into cooked dishes. But at specialty stores, you can often find loftier versions, with a complexity that makes them ideal for eating on their own.
Vecchio old is aged for at least 18 months, for a grassy, floral aroma and acid sweetness. But for a real prize, look to stravecchio , which has aged for at least two years. Older Parmesans feature a wealth of crunchy crystals and a deeply savory flavor, accompanied by a richly nutty, fruity aroma. In Italy, the final important step occurs after aging: Parmesan is one of the few food products anyplace on earth that require individual inspection for quality.
A certified expert visits every single pound wheel and taps it with a rubber acoustic hammer, listening for structural defects in crystallization. If necessary, the inspector takes core samples and, if any appear questionable, tastes them.
Cheese is a living thing, after all, and there are few consumer products that face such stringent quality control, or such high rejection rates.
Given the strict laws governing ingredients, production, aging, and inspection, there is simply no such thing as mediocre Parmigiano Reggiano. Like Champagne and other Protected Designation of Origin PDO products, it is carefully made and screened to guarantee that the baseline is, at worst, very good. From there, it soars upward to exceptional heights. In sharp contrast, Parmesan cheese in the United States and Argentina, another major knockoff producer, must abide by no such rules.
It can be made from milk of any quality, age, or provenance. There is no aging requirement, or really any requirements at all—domestic Parmesan is not even vaguely defined as a particular type or style of cheese. While the term has been deemed generic or common for trademark purposes, other generics clearly mean a unique product: Bayer lost ownership of "aspirin," but aspirin still refers to a specific painkiller, not vitamin pills.
Yet Parmesan can be used to describe almost anything in the dairy case. As the legal counsel for the consortium of Parma cheesemakers told me: "In most cases in the US, the name Parmesan is not used as a common name of a kind of cheese; it is used in a way that may mislead the public as to the geographical origin of the product.
In Italy, it is often served as a dessert with fresh figs, walnuts and sweet red wine. In America, parmesan is mainly used for grating on pasta, salads and pizza.
Parmesan can be purchased in two basic forms: 1 fresh, and 2 dehydrated or dried. The richest flavor comes from the fresh variety. Parmesan is light yellow and has a hard, granular texture. It is aged over 10 months. Some commercially grated parmesan blends contain anti-caking ingredients that prevent the cheese from incorporating into sauces. Once you open the package, keep the canister in the fridge. It should last at least a couple of months, but check the label to make sure.
Usually, when cheese goes bad, it is easy to see the mold spots. With hard cheeses like Parmesan, the mold spots can be removed , and you can eat the rest.
When grated, Parmesan is white to beige in color. If you are wondering if your grated cheese has spoiled, open the container and check the color and smell. Parmesan going bad will smell funny, and the color will look different. Instead of looking white or beige, the color of the cheese will be more of a yellow or darker beige.
For shredded parmesan, texture change is a good sign of it going bad. I f the shredded parmesan feels spongy or wet to the touch, discard it. For both grated and shredded parmesan, throw the whole package out if there are any signs of mold.
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