Parmigiano Reggiano PDO - Red Cows 30 Months

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is a hard, cooked, non-pressed cheese made from raw cow's milk obtained from animals bred in the production area and fed mainly on local fodder.

The milk of the Red Cows of the Reggiana breed has certain quality characteristics that differentiate it from traditional Parmigiano Reggiano. The Red Cows produce one third less milk than the Friesian breed, but have a higher cheese-making yield. In particular, in the milk of the Vacche Rosse there is a variant of Casein, the fundamental protein in the process of transforming milk into cheese, which guarantees a better predisposition of the cheese to a long maturing process with consequent better digestibility.

The diet consists only of grass, hay and certified non-GMO feed, an absolute ban on any feeding technique that serves to force production, and maximum attention to animal welfare. This is why in the Vacche Rosse stables we still find animals that are over 10 years old, which is very rare for other types of breeding.

The production area of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO includes the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna to the left of the Reno river in the Emilia-Romagna region.

In this case, we are in the province of Reggio Emilia.

For production, milk from the evening milking is used, which is left to rest in steel tanks overnight. After being partially skimmed, the evening milk is decanted together with the morning milk into the characteristic inverted bell-shaped copper cauldron, without the addition of any additives. The natural whey starter is then added and heated to 33 °C. Once the temperature is reached, calf rennet obtained from the stomachs of suckling calves is added until coagulation, which takes 10-15 minutes. The curd is broken into small granules and the cooking phase then begins at 55 °C. The mass obtained after cooking and falling granules is lifted and cut in two; each mass is wrapped in a linen cloth and placed in a wooden or Teflon mould. Here it takes on its characteristic shape and receives a casein plaque, embedded in the surface of the rind, which, thanks to an alphanumeric code, uniquely identifies each cheese wheel. This is followed by branding with the branding band, which impresses the following on the rind: the dotted inscription 'PARMIGIANO REGGIANO', the registration number of the dairy, the month and year of production. This is followed by salting, which takes place by immersing the cheese wheel for 16-20 days in a saturated solution of natural salt, and finally by maturing on wooden boards in suitable premises with controlled temperature and humidity, which lasts from a minimum of 12 months to over two years. Only those cheeses that pass a very strict selection process are branded with the oval firebrand mark at the age of 12 months.

The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO date back to the Middle Ages, thanks to the work of the Benedictine and Cistercian monks of the Po Valley who, between the Apennines and the right bank of the Po River, reclaimed the marshes and cultivated the pastures needed to feed the cows. The processing method of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is essentially the same as nine centuries ago and uses the same essential ingredients (milk, rennet and salt), without any additives or preservatives.

Characteristics

The Parmigiano Reggiano PDO from red cows 30 months that we offer has a straw-yellow paste, with a crumbly and grainy consistency; it has a delicate but persistent fragrance, highly complex with aromatic notes, due to its maturation.

Pairings

Matured Parmigiano Reggiano PDO 30 Mesi is excellent to be paired with typical Emilia-Romagna cold cuts and to be grated over traditional Emilia-Romagna first courses. It is also perfect grated over beef-based main courses such as tagliata, carpaccio and roast beef. Sublime with honey, fruit preserves, traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena or Reggio Emilia, and also with nuts such as walnuts and hazelnuts or dried figs.

Milk, salt, rennet.

Vacuum-packed Parmigiano Reggiano PDO should be stored in the refrigerator at 2-8 °C. Once opened, wrap it in a dishcloth and place it in an aroma-protection container or a transparent plastic food bag.