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Parmesan is the cheese known in Italian as Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. The word parmesan is derived from French referring to the original Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. In the European Union the word parmesan is a food label protected by the law that can be legally used to refer exclusively to the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP cheese manufactured in a limited area in Northern Italy. (See Protected designation of origin.)
In other parts of the world and in everyday language the word parmesan may also refer to other cheeses that resemble the original Parmigiano Reggiano, such as Grana Padano, a hard, grainy Italian cheese close to Parmigiano Reggiano. Outside Europe, local cheeses are manufactured and sold under the generic name Parmesan in many countries, most notably in the United States.
American Parmesan
American Parmesan differs from Parmigiano Reggiano in several ways. First, it is aged for an average of 10 months; Parmigiano Reggiano is aged for a minimum of 12 months, and usually for 18-24 months. This additional aging is reputed to give it more depth of flavor.
Secondly, the curds for Parmigiano Reggiano are cut into fragments the size of wheat grains, which is much finer than the fragments created in the manufacture of the American version Parmesan. The smaller curds drain more effectively; American Parmesan is mechanically pressed in order to expel excess moisture.
Parmigiano Reggiano has become an increasingly regulated product; in 1955 it became what is known as a certified name (not a brand name). Parmesan (in its extra-European sense) however, has no such regulations. The European Union campaigns against the use of protected European food labels by producers outside the designated region of origin, which might eventually lead to dropping the word parmesan from cheese products originating outside the designated production region of Parmigiano Reggiano.
The average Parmigiano Reggiano wheel is about 18-24 cm (7 to 9 inches) high, 40-45 cm (16 to 18 inches) in diameter, and weighs an average of 38 kg (80 pounds); Parmesan wheels in the United States average 11 kg (24 pounds). The size difference can affect their salt saturation during the brining process; Parmigiano Reggiano on average contains two-thirds less sodium than the average Parmesan.
Trivia
Parmesan cheese is a dishwasher's nightmare in the restaurant industry. Cooked Parmesan after cooling becomes very difficult to remove from dishes.
See also
External links
- http://www.parmigiano-reggiano.it/
- http://www.parmigiano.it/
Italian cheeses | cow's-milk cheeses
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"Parmesan cheese"