On the plains, hills and mountains between the rivers Po and Reno, in the regions of Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, in the provinces of of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua it is produced the special famous Parmesan cheese, in Italian called “Parmigiano Reggiano”.
There are more than four thousand farms in this area where cows are growing up with locally grown forage.
The cheese produced in such a protected and respected environment is called “the king of cheeses”
Parmigiano Reggiano is a product with a protected designation of origin (PDO)
Regular controls on the milk used for producing the cheese and on the feeding of the cow are really important to ensure the high quality of a purely natural product, completely produced without additives or preservatives, rich of proteins, vitamins, calcium and mineral salts, a ready source of energy for everyone of all ages and in every situations
Almost eighty years ago, in 1934, has been founded the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, a cheese which has been appreciate for its inimitable flavor since the Middle Ages.
The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are usually placed around the XII century when the first farms appeared at the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries in the area of Parma and Reggio Emilia, where rivers and pastures were abundant.
In the 16th century Friar Salimbene wrote in his Chronicles that dressing pasta with Parmesan cheese was an ancient tradition.
Napoleon really loved the Parmesan Cheese and often wanted his cook preparing for him a green beans salad with Parmigiano Reggiano.
In 1913 Bizzozero was a good prophet when he wrote he was sure that macaroni pasta with tomato sauce and risotto with tomato sauce, both with the addition of butter and Parmesan cheese had to become two world institutions.
Nowadays we all know that pasta with tomato sauce is perfect only with some grated Parmesan Cheese.