the English name of a hard Italian cheese which is properly called Parmigiano Reggiano, or just Parmigiano. It received DOP status in 1996. The cities of Parma and Reggio Emilia used to have their own separate cheeses, but these were combined into the present joint name by a governmental decree of 1955 which established and defined the controlled appellations for grana cheeses. The Consorzio itself was founded in 1934. The characteristics and manufacture of the group of cheeses to which it belongs are described under grana. Although the appellation Parmigiano Reggiano is protected in Italy, the name Parmesan has become almost synonymous in other parts of the world with the whole grana group, meaning ‘Italian grating cheese’.
Production is concentrated in 512 dairies in the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, and parts of Bologna and Mantua, though the greater number is in the vicinity of Reggio Emilia. The wheels weigh upwards of 24 kg (53 lb) and usually 35 kg (80 lb). They must be aged for at least twelve months; the average is 24 months. Output was more than 3 million cheeses in 2004. The feeding regime of the dairy herds is strictly controlled and must include no silage. Parmigiano Reggiano differs from generic Parmesan by being finer grained and less salty.
Presciutto, in his Gastronomia parmense (1963), has collected an impressive series of tributes to ‘Parmigiano’, ranging from classical authors (a little vagueness here) through medieval times to more recent eulogies. He cites evidence that Parmesan was among Napoleon's favourite foods; and that Molière, suddenly stricken by what proved to be a fatal illness, waved aside the conventional bowl of broth, called for Parmesan, and devoured it with such enthusiasm that it spilled over his deathbed. Although it failed to revive Molière, Parmesan has for long had, and retains, a reputation as good fare for invalids.
But the finest piece of publicity for Parmigiano was surely furnished by Boccaccio (The Decameron, novella 3, day 8), when he wrote of the imaginary country of Berlinzone and its village Bengodi (meaning enjoyment) where there was a mountain consisting entirely of grated Parmesan, on which there were people who did nothing but make macaroni and ravioli to be cooked in capon broth (and dressed with Parmesan). This tale developed into the familiar story of the Land of Cockaigne where everything is food ready to eat, and the mountain of Parmesan remained a central feature of the story.
Andrea del Sarto, the famous artist, is said by Vasari (Lives of the Painters) to have made a model temple with sausages as pillars, and Parmesan cheese providing their bases and capitals.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
