Why do we say Parmesan Cheese in Catholic:
Parmesan cheese, known as Parmigiano-Reggiano (also “The King of Cheeses”) in its authentic form, originated in the Middle Ages (around the 12th–13th century) in the northern Italian region now comprising parts of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, specifically around the provinces of Parma.
The Benedictine and Cistercian monks in the Po Valley of Italyhad an abundance of milk from their cows but with hot summers and limited refrigeration they needed a way to store it long-term so they could focus on prayer rather than daily farming. They developed the massive, dry, salt-brined wheels that could last for years. A 1254 notarial document from Genoa mentions “caseus parmensis” (cheese from Parma), and similar references appear in Parma and other cities.
The cheese’s characteristic large wheels (about 84–100 lbs/38-45 kg each), granular texture, and ability to age for years were innovations that made it famous and valuable for trade across Europe as early as the 14th century (e.g., mentioned by Boccaccio in “The Decameron”, c. 1350).
Why does cheese come in wheels?Back to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese:
Since 1996, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product in the EU. by law, Parmigiano-Reggiano is allowed to contain only three very simple ingredients: milk (produced in the Parma/Reggio region and less than 20 hours from cow to cheese), salt, and rennet (a natural enzyme from calf intestine).
Three other ingredients, Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate, and Cheese Cultures are often found in the parmesan cheese you find in the grocery store, but not found in Parmigiano-Reggiano; in fact, they are completely illegal in its production. Yet all three are in Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese (not sure if that means it is supposed to be 100% “parmesan” or simply 100% grated). It’s far enough from the real thing that Kraft was legally forced to stop selling its cheese labeled Parmesan in Europe. We’re not picking on Kraft here, just reporting the facts.
Only cheese made in the defined geographic zone, following strict traditional methods (raw cow’s milk, natural whey starter, no additives, minimum 12 months aging) can legally be called Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The term “Parmesan” is the anglicized/generic name and is used globally (especially in the U.S.) for similar hard grating cheeses, often with different production rules.
The website devoted to Parmesan (parmigianoreggiano.com) is not active….it refers to itself as “still aging”…..quite a play on words!