Parmesan

Parmesan is one of the hardest cheeses made.

The original Parmesan is called Parmigiano-Reggiano. The name comes from two places in northern Italy, Parma and Reggio Emilia. To be called Parmigiano-Reggiano, the cheese has to be made in that region and following rules set long ago. Much of the cheese sold as parmesan in other countries is made the same general way, but it is not Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Made like most cheese

Parmesan starts the same way as most cheese: by mixing milk, bacteria, and rennet together. Parmigiano-Reggiano is made from cow milk.

The curds are cooked at a hot temperature and a lot of whey is squeezed out. Whey is the liquid that separates from the curds and is mostly water. Removing that water is part of what makes Parmesan so hard.

The curds are pressed into large round molds, which shape the curds into wheels. Each wheel is soaked in salt water, called brine, for about three weeks.

The aging

Parmesan ages longer than most cheeses. Parmigiano-Reggiano ages for at least a year, and often two or three years.

During the aging, enzymes in the cheese break the protein and fat into smaller pieces. Those smaller pieces create Parmesan's strong, savory flavor. Water also keeps slowly leaving the cheese, so the longer Parmesan ages, the harder and stronger the cheese becomes.

The small crunchy crystals you sometimes feel when eating aged Parmesan come from the aging. As the protein breaks down, one of the amino acids gathers into tiny clusters. Those clusters are the crunch.

What Parmesan provides your body

Parmesan provides your body protein, fat, and calcium.

Milk sugar is called lactose. During the making and the long aging, bacteria eat nearly all of the lactose. This is why many people who have trouble digesting milk can eat aged Parmesan.

You are welcome to eat cheese that took a year to make.

Stacy 🌺

Information in this post comes from my learning and research

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I share my experiences and my perspective. Eating and healing look different for everyone. If you are struggling with food or your relationship with your body, please find support. You don’t have to do this alone.