Grana Padano cheese
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Country of origin | Italy | |||
| Region, town | Emilia-Romagna: province of Piacenza Lombardy: Veneto: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol: In addition to these main centres |
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| Source of milk | Cows | |||
| Pasteurised | No | |||
| Texture | Hard | |||
| Aging time | 8–24 months | |||
| Certification | Italy: DO 1955 EU: PDO 1996 |
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Grana Padano cheese is one of the most popular Denominazione di Origine Controllata cheeses of Italy. The name comes from the noun grana (‘grain’), which refers to the distinctively grainy texture of the cheese, and the adjective Padano, which refers to the river Po.
Like Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese which is cooked and ripened slowly. It is produced by curdling the milk of grass-fed cows. The cows are milked twice a day, the milk is left to stand, and then partially creamed. It is produced all year round and the quality can vary seasonally as well as by year.
A wheel of Grana Padano is cylindrical, with slightly convex or almost straight sides and flat faces. It measures 35 to 45 cm in diameter, and 15 to 18 cm in height. It weighs 24 to 40kg per wheel. The rind, which is thin, is white or straw yellow.
Grana Padano cheese has been produced since the 12th century, and production and quality are now overseen by the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano.
[edit] External links
- Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano (English)
- Zeppa, Giuseppe GRANA PADANO a cheese from Piedmont (English)
