Parmigiano Reggiano, the most emblematic cheese of the Apennines of Modena and Emilia. A cheese that represents our region to the full.

It is impossible to speak of Emilia Romagna without mentioning Parmigiano Reggiano. It is indeed one of the most popular and well-known cheeses in the world, a prime ingredient in both simple and sophisticated dishes. 

Just as the traditional “crescentina” (local flatbread) is eaten with Modenese pesto (a mixture of lard, rosemary and garlic) and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano, the same cheese is used for “berlenghi” (local pancakes) and for tortellini, or is simply sprinkled on pasta or eaten on its own, perhaps served with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. In short, there are endless ways to enjoy it at its best. 

If you are familiar with the Modena Apennines, you will already know that the area boasts many fine cheese dairies; you cannot return home from a holiday here without first going to visit one of them and buying a tasty souvenir to take home with you.

You will find Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as other products, on sale. 

There is also a local festival dedicated to Parmigiano Reggiano, now in its 18th year: ‘Parmigiano Reggiano da gustare’, which takes place at the end of September in the village of Lama Mocogno. Again in September, the Potato and Mountain Parmesan Cheese Festival takes place in Montese.

There are often also live demonstrations during other local festivals, where master cheesemakers will show you how the cheese is produced, turning a simple product such as milk taken from the cows which graze in our green fields into this complex, unique cheese.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is the result of months of precise, meticulous workmanship, care and attention to detail, and also of knowing how to recognise the right point of maturation depending on what it will be used for.

parmigiano reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)

Perhaps not everybody knows that wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano can only be defined as such from a very precise moment.

This is the moment when the wheels of cheese are tested one by one by representatives of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. The cheeses are beaten with a special cheesemaker’s hammer, and, in doing so, it is possible to tell whether they have any defects or not. This procedure takes place 12 months after the cheeses are first salted and left to mature. 

If they are free from any defects, they are branded with the official Parmigiano Reggiano mark of quality.

Parmigiano Reggiano Produced in the Modena Apennines and Parmigiano Reggiano Produced in the Mountains

We should also point out a further distinction concerning Parmigiano Reggiano produced in the Apennines. In recent years, an additional quality seal has been introduced, which allows certain dairies to add “Parmigiano Reggiano Prodotto di Montagna DOP” (Mountain-Produced Parmigiano Reggiano PDO) to their products. Only dairies that adhere to certain criteria can apply this label to their produce; these criteria largely regard the milking process and animal nutrition. 

When you come to the Apennines, we therefore recommend you to taste Parmigiano Reggiano, to visit the dairies (if you contact them in advance it is possible to organise a guided tour and demonstration), and to take home one of the best souvenirs you can, a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano!