The production methods of Parmigiano Reggiano are the same since it was first made in the Middle Ages by Benedictine and Cistercian monks. They used the salt from the Salsomaggiore salt mines and the milk of the cows bred on their farms to produce a dry paste cheese, naturally and without any additives, in large wheels that were suitable for long preservation.
It was a simple beginning, based on using easily available natural foodstuffs, with local salt enhancing the rich milk produced by cows fed on regional forage, grass and hay. More than 1,000 years later, these ancient methods still resonate in a world where food provenance and purity become ever-more important, irrespective of fast foods and ultra-processed meals full of preservatives and colourings.
Parmigiano Reggiano: 1,000 years in the making
Many processing methods have proved useful over the years, with pickling, smoking, pasteurising and fermentation ensuring our ancestors still managed a balanced diet throughout winter. However, there are rising concerns around the health issues, which some studies are now linking to diets heavy in ultra-processed foods, with advice to keep foods as natural and seasonal as possible. Probiotics are actively promoted as having various health benefits, and healthy bacteria has now become an intrinsic part of a well-balanced diet.
Science has played a large part in these studies, and interestingly, the traditional methods of producing Parmigiano Reggiano would pass muster in any lab examining provenance. The area of origin is vital in producing Parmigiano Reggiano – exclusively the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the Reno river, and Mantua to the right of the Po river. It has been protected…
..
[ad_2]