Emiliano - the connoisseur Nutritional - the connoisseur

Follow me and discover the tasty world of Parmigiano Reggiano, a food whose nutritional qualities make it suitable for people of all ages. I'll tell you about when Parmigiano Reggiano was born, about 900 years ago. A story of time-honoured taste.
Parmigiano Reggiano: differences with Grana Padano

Many people think that Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are the same thing. Indeed, the production technology is quite similar; however, there are some major differences, such as the curing period and the cow feeding.

Then there is a geographical difference. Parmigiano Reggiano is made solely in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua, a territory skirted by River Reno and the Po, where cows are fed only with locally grown fodder.

Here are the main differences between the two:
Parmigiano Reggiano Grana Padano
Cow feeding The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium provides solely for fresh fodder and hay. The Grana Padano Consortium allows using also silage i.e., grass harvested and then stored in silos.
Processing Parmigiano is made only once a day with the milk of the previous evening partly skimmed in dedicated tanks to which the fresh morning milk is added. It is made with raw milk of maximum two milkings of the same day and partly skimmed by leaving the cream to rise to the top.
Preservatives Strictly prohibited. Preservatives allowed because the use of silage involves greater contamination risks. Lysozyme, (2-2.5 mg/l) is used as antifermentative to prevent the formation of bacterial cultures in the wheels during the long curing period.
Curing minimum 12 months and up to over 30 months. minimum 9 months.
Production area Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna (left bank of River Reno) Mantua (right bank of River Po). The territory covers some provinces of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Trentino.