Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, the original since 1159

Over 900 years of history

The two great DOP among hard cheese, Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, compete for chronological priority. The tradition of Grana Padano is traced back to the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Chiaravalle in the 12th century. Around 1135-1150, on one hand the construction of the religious building began, but on the other, above all, an impressive reclamation of the area that favored the spread of livestock breeding from which milk production would develop. It is assumed that, due to the years required for theconstruction and reclamation, only towards the beginning of the 13th century did the Cistercian monks manage to produce the ancestor of Grana Padano.

The documents relating to Parmigiano Reggiano certify an older and more defined presence. Already in 1159 the term appears  formadio in a parchment drawn up at the ‘villa’ of Corniano di Bibbiano, property of the Cluniacensian abbey of Marola. This is the first evidence of a hard paste cow's cheese, considered the direct ancestor of Parmigiano Reggiano. In 1254, a notarial deed drawn up in Genoa explicitly cites the  caseus Parmensis, confirming that Parmigiano was already then a recognizable, marketed and appreciated product in one of the main Mediterranean markets. Finally, in the fourteenth century, the literary consecration occurs with the Boccaccio, who in the Decameron uses the term ‘parmigiano’, a sign of a reputation now consolidated at the European level.

In conclusion, documentary, environmental and historical evidence indicates Corniano di Bibbiano as the ideal and original context for the birth of Parmigiano Reggiano. The numerous parchments of the abbey of Marola, combined with the characteristics of the territory and the tradition of the Cluniacensian monks, confirm that the ‘King of Cheeses’ was born more than a century before Grana Padano, right in the Middle Enza Valley.

Forage for cows

The cows from which the milk used to produce Parmigiano Reggiano comes are fed at least 50% of forage, namely hay and grass, neither fermented nor ensiled. The forage is obtained both from alfalfa – whose cultivation in Emilia-Romagna resumed in the nineteenth century after being abandoned by the Romans around 100 BC – and from permanent and stable meadows, the result of natural and spontaneous grassing.

I stable polyphyte meadows, often centuries old and sometimes several centuries old, unplowed for very long periods, host an extraordinary biodiversity with over one hundred plant species per hectare. They give the milk, and therefore the cheese, a aromatic complexity and a nutritional profile superior: greater richness of aromas and flavors, lower saturated fat content, higher presence of unsaturated fats, Omega 3 and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).

In 2024, out of 4,079,248 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano produced, about 66% came from milk of cows mainly fed with alfalfa; 22% came from mountainous areas, with a mixed diet of alfalfa and permanent meadow-pasture; 12% of the wheels were made from milk of cows fed with forage from polyphyte permanent meadows (65%) and alfalfa (35%), particularly in the Middle Val d’Enza and the territory of Bibbiano.

The Parmigiano Reggiano supply chain

The first protagonists of the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO supply chain are the breeders, who must adhere to specific rules for the feeding of the cows in order to guarantee the organoleptic characteristics of the milk and thus of the Parmigiano Reggiano.

In the dairies, the milk is processed in copper vats with the addition of whey starter, a natural culture of lactic bacteria that promotes lactic fermentations. The milk is heated to a temperature of 36° C, with the addition of veal rennet to form the curd. The curd is then broken into small granules and cooked at about 55° C to allow the formation of the cheese mass. This is then placed into the cheese mold to obtain the typical rounded shape of Parmigiano Reggiano.Casein plate with an alphanumeric code identifying it and a branding matrix – which inscribes the ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ marks, the identification number of the dairy, the month and year of production – is applied to each wheel. This is followed by salting by osmosis, through immersion in a saturated salt solution for about 20 days.

The wheels are then placed on the scalere, large shelves made of beech wood, for the aging which must respect a minimum period of 12 months.

Each wheel must then be subjected to a expert examination, by the Protection Consortium, to obtain the suitability mark. The batters, highly specialized professionals, strike the wheel with a small hammer, capturing its sound and vibrations to identify any internal defects that may affect its quality.

The marked wheels are then portioned and processed, partly also grated, for packaging and sale.

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and Grana Padano PDO, the differences

Although both belong to the family of ‘hard cheese’, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and Grana Padano PDO have substantial differences:

• production area

The production of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO takes place in the territory of 174 municipalities, in 5 provinces (Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna west of the Reno and Mantua east of the Po) in 2 regions (Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy), over about 455,000 hectares of utilized agricultural surface. 75% of the forage (grass and hay) is produced in the production area and 50% of this is farm-produced. Breeders and dairies must be located in the area. The production area of Grana Padano PDO, on the other hand, covers the territory of 3,544 municipalities, in 32provinces of 5 regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Emilia-Romagna). Breeders and dairies, in both supply chains of the two cheeses, must be located in the same area;

• production volumes

The production of Grana Padano is much greater compared to that of Parmigiano Reggiano, +38% in 2024. For Parmigiano Reggiano, 239,000 are the lactating cows of the 2,167 delivering breeders in 291 dairies and 4,079,248 wheels produced in 2024 (38-40 kg is the average weight of a 24 months aged wheel), 51% sales in Italy and 49% export. For Grana Padano, 390,000 are the lactating cows of about 4,000 delivering breeders in 135 dairies and 5,635,153 wheels produced in 2024 (35/38 kg is the average weight ofa wheel aged 9 months), 50% sales in Italy and 50% export. 70% of the wheels is produced in the three Lombardy provinces of Mantua (30%), Brescia (24%), and Cremona (16%);

• feeding of cows

The regulations of Parmigiano Reggiano prohibit the use of silage for feeding dairy cows, while Grana Padano – excluding Trentingrana, produced in Trentino – allows the use of corn silage and therefore requires the addition of the preservative lysozyme E1105 (derived from egg) during the cooking of milk in the vat, to prevent abnormal fermentations in the cheese forms. This factor affects the milk microflora and, consequently, the aromatic profile of the cheese;

• marking of forms

In Parmigiano Reggiano the selection carried out by the Consortium during expert appraisal (suitability assessment) and the marking at 12 months takes place on all the wheels, while in Grana Padano the selection at 9 months is done by sampling;

• aging

In Parmigiano Reggiano the product can reach long aging periods (24, 36, 50, 70 months) and consumption usually occurs after 24 months. Grana Padano, on the other hand, is marked at 9 months and the average consumption is at 15 months. The Grana Padano regulations provide for two specific types ‘Over 16 months’ and ‘Reserve – over 20 months’;

• mountain product

Parmigiano Reggiano can boast an additional mention and classification, ‘Mountain Product,’ when it is produced and aged for at least 12 months in a mountain area and subjected to qualitative selection at 20 months with ‘hammer’ evaluation by the Consortium experts and compositional and sensory analysis. The 84 dairies in mountain areas producing Parmigiano Reggiano produced 883,749 wheels in 2024, representing 22% of the total. The mountain production of Grana Padano covers only 113,000 wheels, 2% of the total.

Flavor and granularity

The  Parmigiano Reggiano is composed of one part whole milk and one part skimmed milk. In 12-month Parmigiano Reggiano the softness of the milk is still clearly perceived, which over time tends to transform into a citrus note, eventually recalling, in more aged cheeses, the sharper note of dried and/or toasted fruit.

The  Grana Padano is instead made only from skimmed milk, therefore it is slightly less fatty and more delicate compared to Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as maturing earlier. Its flavor is more buttery and melting, recalling the characteristics of broth and boiled vegetables, and it is less subject to variations since it is aged for shorter periods.

The duration of aging inevitably also changes the level of granularity, which in Parmigiano Reggiano tends to be higher compared to Grana Padano, resulting in easier breaking of the characteristic flakes, often served at the end of the meal or during tastings.

Strategy and market trends

The  Parmigiano Reggiano has more dairies but less total production, while the  Grana Padano concentrates production in fewer facilities but with larger volumes. Therefore, two different models are observed: PR more linked to small territorial realities, GP more industrialized and widespread on a large scale.

In fact, the data show:

• production trend. In the last 10 years, Parmigiano Reggiano production has grown from about 3.3 million wheels (2015) to over 4 million (2024). Grana Padano has seen a steadier growth, from about 4.8 million wheels (2015) to over 5.6 million (2024);

• price trend (2015-2025). Parmigiano Reggiano followed a 'premium' trajectory, with an increasingly high positioning in the international market. Its average prices have registered a strong increase, from about 9–10 €/kg (12-month wholesale) to over 13–14 €/kg (December 2025). Grana Padano maintained a more stable industrial model with larger volumes but lower average prices and volatility. Its average prices (9-month wholesale) rose from 6–7 €/kg to about 8–10 €/kg (December 2025);

In perspective it is expected that Parmigiano Reggiano will continue to strengthen its image as a luxury product, with higher margins and a relatively stable production. Grana Padano will maintain an industrial model with large volumes and competitive prices, thereby consolidating its quantitative leadership.

Dario Dongo

Credit cover: Great Italian Food Trade

Bibliography

• Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese – Production regulations and historical materials, 2024 Activity Report, 2024 Sustainability Report.

• Mario Zannoni. Parmigiano-Reggiano in history. Silva publisher, 1999

• Gabriele Arlotti BIBBIANO In the Cradle of Parmigiano Reggiano. Municipality of Bibbiano Publisher 2008

• Giuseppe Giovanelli, Umberto Beltrami and Gabriele Arlotti. BIBBIANO the ideal cradle of the “King of cheeses”. MUP Publisher 2019

• Ermanio Isarco Beretti, Franco Parmiggiani, Giuseppe Giovanelli, Umberto Beltrami. Valley of herbs and milk. Proceedings of the Reggiolo conferences - Years 2023-2024 edited by Rodolfo Signorini – Franco Parmiggiani E. Lui Publisher 2025

• CRPA – Animal Production Research Center of Reggio Emilia