Grana Padana

I'm sure we've written about this generic Parmesan in the past but it's probably time for a revisit.  Grana Padana is essentially a cheaper version of Reggiano.  Because of its lower cost, restaurants everywhere use it instead of Reggiano as a rule.  While Reggiano is sourced from a delimited region of the Po River Valley, Grana Padana is sourced from a greatly expanded region of the same valley.  The name Padana literally refers to the Po Valley and grana means grainy.  

Grana Padana was developed by monks back in the twelfth century.  It's geographical catchment area has been legally defined since 1954 and its European Union PDO (protected designation of origen) was granted in 1996.  

There are 150 cheese factories that make Grana Padana and they are regulated across producers.  These regulations are less strict than Reggiano but much remains the same.  Grana Padana is made with unpasteurized cow's milk and is aged nine months to two years.  The curd is pelletized and stirred into the milk for texture.  Tyrosine, leucine and isoleucine crystals form as the cheese dries out with aging.  These are amino acids that are then synthesized by our cells into proteins.

What we get from these crystals is a delightful gritty, grainy crunch that augments the intensely nutty sweet and savory flavors of the cheese.  With aging the cheese flavors become more complex and the texture becomes more crumbly.

Grana Padana, of course, is Parmesan so its utility in the kitchen is wide ranging.  Beverage accompaniments would include most import quality red and white wines and most any good quality malt brews.