Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard cow’s milk cheese from a small area of northern Italy: around Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, and parts of Bologna and Mantua. Only cheese made there, by strict rules, may carry the name. You can see it on the rind, which is stamped with the name all the way around.
It is aged for at least 12 months, and usually 24 or more. Over time it becomes dry and crumbly, with small crunchy crystals, and the flavour grows nutty, salty and deeply savoury. A little goes a long way.
In your kitchenGrate it just before serving. The scent is half the flavour.
How to use it
Grate it fresh
Buy a piece, not a bag. Grate it over pasta, risotto or soup just before serving, when the aroma is at its strongest.
Let it melt into the dish
Stir it into a risotto at the end, or toss it with pasta and a little of the cooking water for a silky sauce.
Save the rind
Do not throw the hard rind away. Let it simmer in a soup or tomato sauce, and take it out before serving.
Keep it wrapped and cool
Wrap it in baking paper, then loosely in plastic or a box, and keep it in the fridge. A good piece lasts for weeks.