L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 L'Italo-Americano The thousand properties of Italy's most precious cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano FRANCESCA BEZZONE " A nother article about Parmigiano Reggiano? But we know everything about it already." Well, considering it isn't called the King of Italian Cheeses for nothing, I may have had the same thought if I wasn't the one writing: our beloved Parmigiano is among Italy's best loved prod- ucts, exported a bit everywhere in the world and ubiquitously pres ent in more and more homes, all over the planet. But as we all know, popularity often comes with problems, and this applies to P armigiano, too, which is one of the most coun- terfeited Made in Italy products out there: this is why the EU protects Parmigiano Reggiano with a DOP (or PDO, to say it with the English acronym: pro- tected designation of origin) denomination, and has been doing so since 1996. Interesting- ly, the same protection is granted also to genuine Reggiano packed with its English name, "parme- san." Yet, counterfeiting is still widespread to unthinkable lev- els: as BBC journalist Amanda Ruggeri (shout out to her, she wrote an amazing article about our cheese king for BBC Travel, last January) mentions, of ten wheels of the cheese sold, only one - yes, one! - is authentic. Why is there so much fake Parmigiano around? Well, for a series of reasons. Think about it: you don't get to become "king" without being royalty very often, and Parmi- giano is without a doubt food royalty from head to toe. Legal- ly, the milk used to make it can only come from four cow breeds , one of them, the s o called vacche rosse is among the rarest around: just to give you an idea, there are only 3000 cow s from this br eed in the whole of Europe. There is more than that, though: areas of pro- duction are very limited and only include the Bologna, Mantua, M odena, P arma and Reggio Emilia provinces: this means only cheese produced in these areas is real Parmigiano Reg- giano. Everything else, ladies and gentlemen, is a fake. Strict are also the regulations behind what cows must and must not eat, because their food affect their milk and, therefore, also the cheese made with it: according to the Consorzio's official regu- lation, 50% of what cows eat must be hay and the remaining 50% must, of course, be of high quality, not to affect in any way the taste of the milk itself. Hay must be local: at least 35% from the farm where the cheese is pro- duced, the rest from the Com- prensorio, that is, the denominat- ed area for Parmigiano Reggiano production. It's not that Parmi- giano producers w ant to be fancy, it's a matter of chem- istry, because local hay contains specific components that help the cheese gaining and maintain- ing its taste and organoleptic properties. All this means our Parmi- giano is a little work of culinary art, in spite of being so common on our tables . A ll this als o means it is an expensive cheese, that generates a lot of money: an ideal product to fake, unfortu- nately. But there are other reasons that make Parmigiano special in the eye of its estimators and many consumers. Its nutritional characteristics, for instance, which make it even more pre- cious than its price. It is rich in vitamins, calcium, amino-acids, vitamin A and, of course, pro- teins. Because it is very easy to digest, it is suitable for all, from children to the elderly, from ath- letes to mothers to be: many Ital- ians probably remember an old P armigiano Reggiano's TV infomercial where the stress was placed exactly on that, on how this amazing cheese could be part of everyone's diet, regard- less of age and state of health. 36 months-aged Parmigiano is lactose free, which means it can be consumed by those intolerant. It is good for diabetics, because it doesn't contain any carbohy- drates and even its fats are not that bad, because they are used by our liver and our muscles, and not stored. It is an amazing prod- uct: a portion of Parmigiano (about two ounces of it), has the same amount of proteins of red meat. It is a healthy food, that also happens to taste amazing. Because all we said so far is interesting and good to know, but let's be honest, we know we love Parmigiano because it's delicious . We love it on our pas ta, of cours e, and on our soups. It adds a creaminess and flavor to risottos and a tasty tang to salads. A small chunk of it is a perfect snack, even when you're on a diet and, when paired with fruit s uch as pears , or even apples, it can become a nice, light meal. Indeed, that pear and Parmigiano combo is, if you ask me, some of the simplest yet most delicious things coming out of Italian kitchens: the perfect balance of sweet and savory, the textures mingling, the satisfying taste of the mix. If you've never tried it, do it immediately. And then, there is the way Parmigiano changes with time, creating new flavors and com- plexities while it ages: a cheese with a lot of personality and of immense versatility. Parmigiano is the King of Cheeses because of true royalty it has all the characteristics: it is precious, yet understated; simple (it is made, in the end, with only three ingredients), but rich in all that counts ; rare, but loved everywhere. It is also an impor- tant symbol of Italy's own food industry, as it embodies all that the best Made in Italy is: rooted in a solid tradition, made by capable people, unique and inimitable, precious and genuine. Thinking of it, Parmigiano really is the symbol of Italy's own excellence, the epitome of a way of making and producing that makes il Belpaese respected all over the world. It is, then, also a piece of our culture and, as such, it needs not only to be loved, but also to be protected: so, let's be careful next time we head to the store, looking for some grated cheese to put on our pasta, and let's try, if we can, to invest in some original Parmigiano. It won't be only our food to thank us, but also Italy. Checking how the cheese is aging. A wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is not only delicious: it is also a financial investment © Javarman | Dreamstime.com There is a wedge of Parmigiano in every Italian household © Rostislav Glinsky | Dreamstime.com LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN

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