True Parmigiano-Reggiano is a strictly regulated product, manufactured from milk from dairy cows that graze pastures in particular provinces of Italy. It’s long-aged and punctiliously inspected earlier than making it to the market.
However as a result of U.S. trademark regulation applies solely to the Italian identify, most U.S. “Parmesan cheese” merchandise adhere to no such requirements.
That is significantly true of grated Parmesan, which is usually minimize with cheaper cheeses in addition to with cellulose, a meals additive that retains the cheese from clumping within the container — and from melting correctly when heated.
Discovering Actual Parmesan Cheese
Parmigiano-Reggiano that meets Italian requirements could have the identify stamped in pin dots on the rind. “In the event you’re shopping for a wedge, irrespective of how little cheese you’re shopping for, it’s best to be capable to see a few of these dots,” explains Larry Olmsted, writer of Actual Meals/Faux Meals: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Consuming and What You Can Do About It.
He warns towards shopping for grated Parmesan, however should you should, search for “Parmigiano-Reggiano” on the label. If doable, decide a Parm that was grated and labeled on the grocery retailer, reasonably than a business product processed in a manufacturing facility, to extend your possibilities of getting the great stuff.
Be careful for imposters amongst a few of your favourite meals, and learn to ensure you’re shopping for the true deal, by studying “How you can Discover Actual Honey, Espresso, Further-Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese, and Maple Syrup,” from which this text was excerpted.
