Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard cooked cow's-milk cheese produced within a defined area of Italy and registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0016. The specification requires that all pre-packaged portions of more than 15 g placed on the market be labelled with minimum maturity, and that grated or portioned cheese be traceable to the original wheel by registration number, month and year of production, and weight.

About this designation

Parmigiano Reggiano holds PDO status, registered on 21 June 1996, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012998 and file number PDO-IT-0016. The applicant and managing body is the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, headquartered at Via J. F. Kennedy 18, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy. The specification requires that grated cheese and portions, with or without rind, be packaged within the area of origin. Operators — including dairy farmers, dairies, ripening premises, graters, and portion-cutters — are registered with the control system and listed on registers kept by the inspection body. Traceability of the original wheel, identified by registration number, month and year of production, and weight, must be guaranteed whenever the cheese is grated or portioned. The specification prohibits the use of milk from cows fed on silage; compliance is verified analytically by a maximum cyclopropane fatty acid limit of less than 22 mg per 100 g of fat, determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A further required characteristic is total free amino acids of more than 15 % of total proteins, calculated using HPLC and ion-exchange chromatography, a value linked to a minimum maturity of 12 months. All pre-packaged portions of more than 15 g placed on the market must carry a label stating minimum maturity.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0016, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012998.
• The specification requires total free amino acids of more than 15 % of total proteins; a lower value indicates a maturity period of less than 12 months.
• Silage feeding is banned; the specification enforces a maximum cyclopropane fatty acid limit of less than 22 mg per 100 g of fat as an analytical control.
• All pre-packaged portions of more than 15 g must be labelled with minimum maturity so consumers can correctly identify the cheese's age.

Tasting notes

Po-valley aged cow's milk hard cheese (DOC since 1955, DOP since 1996). Crystalline granular texture with tyrosine crystals, intense umami flavor with notes of dried fruit, broth, brown butter, dried meadow flowers; sharp finish with pleasant piquancy. Aging tiers: 12 mo (mild), 18-24 mo (standard), 30+ mo (intense), 40+ mo (extra-aged premium).

HoReCa use

Grated on pasta and risotto; shaved on salads and carpaccio; served in chunks on cheese boards; rinds simmered into broths and risotto stocks; melted in fonduta and as a base for parmigiana.

Packaging

• wheel-full-38-40kg
• wheel-half-19-20kg
• wheel-quarter-9-10kg
• wedge-vacuum-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-250g
• wedge-vacuum-150g
• grated-pre-pack-100g
• shaved-tray-100g
• gift-pack-aged-200g