Italy grocery: Parmigiano Reggiano, King of Cheese & Original Parmesan cheese - What to buy in Italy

Q: Why carry all the way from Italy when I can get Parmesan cheese here right ?

• Authentic traditional Parmigiano Reggiano is govern by Italian law, made in specific region of Italy & follow a very specific recipe to provide authentic Italian taste. It's not labelled as Parmesan cheese that's typically found in Asian supermarket.

---

Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan?:   

• Do u know in Italy trademark law, only cheese made in Italy according to a specific recipe are allow to be labelled as “Parmigiano Reggiano”?
• Parmigiano Reggiano is always made in Italy, while Parmesan cheese can be made anywhere else with no recipe restrictions
• In simple words, Parmesan label is an imitation of the real Parmigiano Reggiano.

Why buy Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy?:

• Italy law, DOC (Denominazione di Origine controllata) is a rule governing production of Parmigiano Reggiano. It specifies how and where it's produced.
• Similar to the rules governing production of Champagne / tequila. It has to be produced in provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua / Bologna in Italy, follow a very specific recipe to receive  official seal.
• Italian cheeses have denominazione di origine protetta ("protected designation of origin (PDO)", or DOP), status under European Union regulations. This is a legislation is designed to protect regional foods & names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs. Cheese with PDO certification has an orange yellow certified tag.

Why PDO?:

• product quality / properties are significantly & exclusively determined by the geographical  environment (natural, human factors, production, processing & preparation)
• to receive the PDO status, the entire product must be traditionally & entirely manufactured within specific region to acquire unique product properties.

Aging/ maturity: 

• different maturity stages & recognized by aging seals given at 18 months, 24 months and 30 months.
• 40 mesi = 40 months (aging)
• Aging determines flavor intensity. A well-aged cheese will be more flavorful, less creamy and grainier in texture.

Paring:

• Parmigiano Reggiano can use cooking
• most typical pairing is with honey or balsamic vinegar from Modena.
• also pair with walnuts, zesty pear, champagne / sparkling wine.

Taste: 

• Parmesan taste more acidic & saltier.
• Parmigiano Reggiano are deeply rich & with nutty flavor.

Bag of pre-grated cheese or hard cheese by hand?:

• Hard grating cheeses have low moisture contents & more shelf-stable. Frequently they are aged for multiple years. Pre-grated cheese in bag tends to stick together over time in fridge.
• firmer in texture & melts more smoothly.
• worth more. with the same weight, cheese block will yield more grated shred compare to pre-grated cheese.

So, it’s not just a cheese that u can just get it here. Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of cheese, the price tag is higher but once u taste the real deal, u’ll never want to go back to the cheese with Parmesan label. It’s sounds a little crazy to travel with a piece of certified cheese but both of us just enjoy it this way.
-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

---

Credits: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_DOP_cheeses  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_indications_and_traditional_specialities_in_the_European_Union#Protected_designation_of_origin_(PDO) 

https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-library/Parmigiano-Reggiano