Overview
Parmesan is an Italian extra-hard cow’s milk cheese with a granular, crumbly texture and a sharp, savory, slightly nutty flavor. It is most commonly grated over pasta dishes but also appears in soups, salads, and baked preparations. The cheese is dry, salty, and crystalline, with a long aging period that concentrates its flavor.
Origin and history
Parmesan originates from the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of northern Italy, specifically the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna (west of the Reno River), and Mantua (south of the Po River) [1]. The cheese has been produced in this area since at least the Middle Ages; a 13th-century document from Genoa mentions a cheese from Parma that was already being traded [1]. The modern production method was codified in the 19th century, and the name “Parmigiano-Reggiano” became a protected designation of origin (PDO) under European Union law in 1996 [2]. Outside the PDO zone, similar cheeses are labeled simply as “Parmesan,” a term that is not legally protected in many non-EU markets.
Varieties and aliases
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: the PDO-protected Italian original, aged 12 to 36 months or more [1]
- Grana Padano: a similar Italian hard grating cheese with a slightly shorter aging period and a less granular texture; also PDO-protected [1]
- Parmesan (generic): non-PDO hard grating cheeses sold under the name, often produced in the United States, Argentina, Australia, and other countries
- Parmesan: English-language alias
- Parmesan cheese: common English name
Culinary uses
Parmesan is most famously grated over pasta dishes such as spaghetti, fettuccine, and lasagna, where it adds saltiness and umami [4]. It is also a key ingredient in pesto alla Genovese, risotto, and Caesar salad. In Italian cooking, it is often served in slivers or shavings as part of an antipasto platter, paired with balsamic vinegar or fresh fruit. The rind is sometimes simmered in soups and broths to add depth of flavor. Outside Italy, Parmesan is used in a wide range of Western dishes, from casseroles to garlic bread.
Cross-cuisine context
In Peruvian cuisine, Parmesan-style cheese is known as “queso italiano” or “parmesano” and is a staple of the Italian-Peruvian culinary tradition brought by Genovese immigrants to Lima in the late 1800s. It is the backbone of tallarines verdes, a Peruvian adaptation of pesto pasta, and appears in other criollo dishes. In Salvadoran cuisine, the aged, hard, salty grating cheese called “queso duro viejo” has a texture similar to dried Parmesan or aged cotija, though it is a distinct Central American cheese with its own production method and flavor profile. No widely recognized analogue exists in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Cambodian, Armenian, Persian, Arabic, or Russian cuisines, though some modern fusion dishes (such as Korean cream tteokbokki) incorporate Parmesan as a non-traditional ingredient.
Notes for cooks
- For the most reliable results in Italian recipes, use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano rather than generic Parmesan, which may have a different moisture content and salt level.
- Store Parmesan wrapped in wax paper or parchment inside a loosely sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator; it will keep for several weeks. Grated Parmesan loses flavor faster than a whole wedge.
- The presence of small white crystals in aged Parmesan is normal. These are tyrosine crystals, not mold, and indicate proper aging.