Parmesan cheese

Parmigiano-Reggiano (/ˌpɑːrmɪˈdʒɑːnoʊ rɛˈdʒɑːnoʊ/, Italian: ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese. The name 'Parmesan' is often used generically for the same cheese made outside the traditional areas of production in Italy, although this is prohibited in trading in the European Economic Area under European law. Parmigiano-Reggiano (/ˌpɑːrmɪˈdʒɑːnoʊ rɛˈdʒɑːnoʊ/, Italian: ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese. The name 'Parmesan' is often used generically for the same cheese made outside the traditional areas of production in Italy, although this is prohibited in trading in the European Economic Area under European law. It is named after the producing areas, which comprise the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Bologna (only the area to the west of the river Reno), Modena (all in Emilia-Romagna), and Mantua (in Lombardy, but only the area to the south of the river Po), Italy. Under Italian law, only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled 'Parmigiano-Reggiano,' and European law classifies the name, as well as the translation 'Parmesan,' as a protected designation of origin. Parmigiano is the Italian demonym for Parma and Reggiano is the adjective for Reggio Emilia. Outside the EU, the name 'Parmesan' can legally be used for the same cheese made outside this area, or for cheeses similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano, with only the full Italian name unambiguously referring to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It has been called the 'King of Cheeses' and a 'practically perfect food.' Parmigiano-Reggiano is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. The whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk (which is made by keeping milk in large shallow tanks to allow the cream to separate) of the previous evening's milking, resulting in a part skim mixture. This mixture is pumped into copper-lined vats (copper heats and cools quickly). Starter whey (containing a mixture of certain thermophilic lactic acid bacteria) is added, and the temperature is raised to 33–35 °C (91–95 °F). Calf rennet is added, and the mixture is left to curdle for 10–12 minutes. The curd is then broken up mechanically into small pieces (around the size of rice grains). The temperature is then raised to 55 °C (131 °F) with careful control by the cheese-maker. The curd is left to settle for 45–60 minutes. The compacted curd is collected in a piece of muslin before being divided in two and placed in molds. There is 1100 L (291 US gallons or 250 imperial gallons) of milk per vat, producing two cheeses each. The curd making up each wheel at this point weighs around 45 kg (100 lb). The remaining whey in the vat was traditionally used to feed the pigs from which Prosciutto di Parma (cured Parma ham) was produced. The barns for these animals were usually just a few yards away from the cheese production rooms.