Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano, is considered like a symbol of Italian cuisine, is the King of Cheese, is one of the most Italian iconic food Parmesan Cheese come from the city of Parma that is the city where Giuseppe Verdi was born.

The real Parmesan Cheese is free from preservatives and additives. Contains only 30% of water and as much as 70% of nutrients; Parmesan Cheese is therefore a cheese with a high content of proteins, vitamins, minerals and calcium. In fact, 70% of its mass is made of macro-nutrients, 33% of proteins, 29% of fats and micronutrients. The proteins contained in this cheese are of high biological value, that is rich in essential amino acids, which our body is not able to synthesize by itself.

Moreover, during the maturing period, enzymes modify the structure of casein (the most abundant protein in milk) fragmenting the proteins into smaller "pieces, called peptides, from which our digestive system extracts these essential amino acids with less difficulty.

This is why Parmesan Cheese, it´s really easy to digest also for people who are intolerant to milk protein. To discover the ancient origins of Parmesan Cheese we must go back to the Middle Ages, specifically to the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries of Parma and Reggio Emilia.

The monks were the first producers of Parmesan Cheese, driven by the search for a cheese which could last in time. The production of the Parmesan Cheese was made possible thanks to the availability of salt coming from the salt pans of Salsomaggiore Terme, a small city close to Parma and Reggio Emilia very famous for is thermal baths. Already at that time, Parmesan Cheese began to travel and to be little by little known and appreciated all over the country. One of the first evidences about the commercialization of Parmesan Cheese is in fact dated in 1254.

In a short time, Parmigiano began to expand in Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany, until it reached the maritime centers of the Mediterranean sea. The flourishing economic development of the Italian Renaissance meant that, in Emilia Romagna, the production of Parmesan Cheese spread everywhere there was the possibility to have fodder.

The size of the wheels also increased, and they could weigh up to 18 kg each. Nowadays a Parmesan Cheese wheels weight between 18 and 20 Kg depends by the ageing. The perfect food for all ages from the babies still the elders.

The best day start with a piece of Parmesan Cheese and a glass of Lambrusco