Parmesan
Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese developed in
the Northern Italian regions of Parma and Reggio Emilia. Parmesan
is a French word derived from the original cheese's name and
is used to describe any cheese of a similar nature to Parmigiano
Reggiano made outside of Italy.
This cheese is made using skimmed cows milk and then floated
in brine. Parmigiano Reggiano is aged for a minimum of one
year, but usually two years or more. Parmesan on the other
hand is usually only aged for about ten months. As Parmesans
such as American Parmesan are matured for less time than Parmigiano
Reggiano, they are said to have less depth of taste.
Although there are lots of imitations of this cheese on the
market only about 700 dairies are actually allowed to produce
real Parmesan cheese. The production of this cheese takes
a lot of skill and has in fact been made in the same way for
the past eight centuries.
Parmesan cheese has a full rich flavor but is not too strong.
It goes very well with fruits such as pears and figs and when
grated it adds real depth to pasta, salads, chicken and pizzas.
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