Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese made from cow’s milk and aged for at least 12 months under protected rules in designated regions.

Raw milk: Milk that has not been pasteurized or otherwise heat-treated to eliminate pathogens. Parmigiano-Reggiano uses partially skimmed raw milk, preserving its native microbes and enzymes.
Cow's milk: Milk produced by cows, used as a food and as a raw material for dairy products. Its composition and quality shape the curd and finished cheese.
Grating cheese: A firm cheese whose texture allows it to be finely grated for cooking or serving. Parmigiano-Reggiano is commonly grated over pasta, soups, and vegetables.
Grana Padano: A hard Italian cheese made in a broad northern Italian region under its own protected designation. It resembles Parmigiano-Reggiano but has different production rules and a wider origin area.
Rennet: A mixture of enzymes that coagulates milk by cleaving casein proteins. Calf rennet sets the milk into curds during cheesemaking.
Casein: The family of major milk proteins that forms the structural network of cheese curds. Casein coagulation creates the protein framework of each Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel.
Pasta al ragù: Pasta served with a slowly cooked meat sauce, especially associated with Italian cuisine. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is a classic finishing cheese for ragù.
Pecorino Romano: A hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk under a protected designation. Its sheep’s milk and sharper saltiness contrast with Parmigiano-Reggiano’s cow’s milk character.
Lactic acid fermentation: Microbial conversion of sugars into lactic acid, often used to acidify foods. Starter bacteria ferment milk lactose, helping curds acidify and mature.
Whey: The liquid remaining after milk has coagulated and curds have been separated. Whey from the previous day’s cheesemaking supplies the natural starter culture.

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