Reggiano Parmesan

It's almost conspiratorial the way Covid, the supply chain doldrums and whatever else is behind food inflation have all together waylaid the cheese business for guys like me.  Maybe we just need to get out of that business entirely, but then I guess we'd have to change our store name and what a pain that would be.  Or else we can hit the reset button and start all over with it.

So after listening to several customers gripe about the quality of grocery store parmesan, we went ahead and brought back the "King of Cheeses" and you know what the good news is for you?   Price.  What?  Why?  Don't know.  But the price is reasonable again.

Parmigiano Reggiano has a uniquely sharp, complex, fruity/nutty savory flavor accompanied by a uniquely gritty granular (tyrosine crystals) texture.  No other cheese in the world puts all of those characteristics together in such a completely satisfying way.  And it's manufacturing is regulated by the Italian government...but more on that later.  American chain store parmesan can be anything from anywhere.  It may be a fine substitute for Parm-Reg or maybe not.  It is not regulated.  Not by a long shot.  So good luck with quality.

Parm-Reg is sourced from a confederation of cheese makers across five provinces in northern Italy.  The earliest written references to the cheese go back to the thirteenth century but historians believe that tradition goes back further.  If you want to know specifics about the making of the cheese we would refer you to the Wikipedia page which goes into great detail.  Suffice it to say here, the only additive to the cheese is salt. 

While the regulations referred to above are voluminous (bureaucrats, ya know), here are some of the biggies.  Five cattle breeds with specific diets are allowed for milking for Parm-Reg with the milking done at varying times resulting in a partially skimmed product.  The cheese is then aged a minimum of two years for basic Parm-Reg but further aging increases the value of the cheese which is then regulated again.

Reggiano Parmesan is meant for grating over pasta, soups, salads or whatever.  The natural rind may be used in soups, broths, sauces or once again, anything you might like.  A couple nights ago Parm-Reg  became my homemade pizza cheese.  And it was m-m-m m-m-m good!

So stop in and pick up some of the "King of Cheeses!"