Parmigiano Reggiano, Cravero. A Cheese to Savour

Parmigiano Reggiano has a long history dating to the Middle Ages and has its origins in the Benedictine & Cistercian monasteries where the monks produced a dry textured, long maturing cheese known at the time as Caseus Parmensis (the cheese from Parma).   A source of salt was nearby at the mines of Salsomaggiore Terme.  There is a deed of sale dating to 1254 in Genoa showing it had already begun to be traded some distance from the area in which it was made, the Emilian Appenine hillsides.  Production spread to other abbeys and to the land of feudal lords in the 15^th century and the area of production expanded to include the plans of Reggio and Parma.

Our Parmigiano which is selected and matured by Giorgio Cravero comes from a small selection of producers in the Emilian hills, a region the family chose as it produces some of the best Parmigiano.  The actual production area for Parmigiano Reggiano includes the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Mantua (to the right of the River Po) and Bologna (to the left of the River Reno) and covers land at a variety of elevations.

In the Emilian hills, the local pasture and forage lends a creaminess to the milk and a sweetness and softer texture to the finished cheese and this flavour profile is considered to be unique to that region.   The cheesemakers the Craveros buy from also work to preserve these characteristics by gentle handling of the curd.

The Cravero family have been involved with selection and maturation of Parmigiano Reggiano since 1855 when the first Giorgio Cravero founded the business.  His son Giacomo learned how to select these sweeter and higher quality cheeses from his father and for the next 5 generations that knowledge has been passed on along with another family tradition – the names of Giorgio and Giacomo alternating between the generations.  The latest Giorgio Cravero currently works not only with his father Giacomo but son Giacomo also.  The business will continue into the 6th generation.

Giorgio and son Giacomo visit the farms to select cheeses at source when these are about 12 months old. These cheeses are then brought to their storerooms in Bra, in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont where they are turned, matured and monitored for temperature and humidity until they are ready to sell from 24 months.  In fact, Giorgio is not a fan of maturing the cheeses much beyond that age to preserve the softer, sweeter characteristics he has selected.

A cheese like this, while it can of course be grated and used in recipes, also makes a delicious table cheese: slivers of it, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, chunks dipped into balsamic vinegar.  It doesn’t need adornment though, a piece placed onto a wooden board on the table with a knife so that everyone can keep going back for just one more piece is really all you need.