The King & Queen of Italian Cheeses
Parmigiano Reggiano & Pecorino Romano
By Sallie Smith of Sickles Market

Few gourmet foods can claim to be the “King” of a category, but when it comes to cheese, anyone in the “gourmet know” will surely agree that Parmigiano Reggiano reigns supreme as the world’s most coveted cheese.

That’s not to say that other cheeses from other countries are not wonderful and worthy of praise themselves, but in tribute to the “Wine & Dine NJ” issue of Currents, we wanted to focus on the best. Enter, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano… the undisputed King and Queen of Italian Cheeses.



Parmigiano Reggiano (par-mee-JAH-noh-reh-JAH-noh) is referred to as the “King of Cheeses.” It is a partly skimmed, unpasteurized, hard, pressed, cooked curd, cow’s milk cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano has been made for centuries in the Po Valley region of northern Italy, in particular the Emilia-Romagna region. This cheese originated in Reggio and was also made near the town of Parma, hence the name Parmagiano Reggiano. In 1934 local creameries founded the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is a self governing association created to preserve the high standards of operation and the high quality of this cheese. It is currently made up of about 600 creameries. True Parmigiano Reggiano must be imprinted with the Consorzio’s certification mark as well as the imprint indicating its D.O.C. status. The rind will also be imprinted with the date the cheese was made and a code indicating the partita (the season in which it was made) and the casello (the actual building in which the cheese was made).

D.O.C. requirements include the following: true Parmigiano Reggiano must be made in the zona tipica which is made up of the entire provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia, and Modena and portions of the provinces of Bologna and Mantua. The wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano must weigh between 66 and 88 pounds. The wheels should be convex-sided, flat-topped, 12 inches thick, and 18 to 20 inches in diameter. The cheese must be aged a minimum of 14 months. The actual making of the cheese requires two separate milkings (evening and morning) and pouring the milk by hand into the vats since no pumping is allowed. Another D.O.C. requirement is that the cows only be fed freshly cut grass and hay that have been grown in the zona tipica. For centuries the cows grazed in the fields, but today, because of the high value of the land, the land is reserved for cash crops and the cows are kept in barns where they are fed the freshly cut grass and hay.

After the cheese is made, it is aged in casina (warehouses for aging the cheese). The temperature in the casina fluctuates according to the season. This fluctuation contributes to the resulting flavor of the cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano should be aged long enough to spend two summers in the casina. During the summer the cheese sweats, which concentrates the flavor and eliminates excess moisture. Also, the natural bacterial activity, which also contributes to the flavor, is highest during the summer. Because two summers of aging is more important than the actual number of months spent in the casina, some of the most flavorful cheeses might only be aged for 18 months while other cheeses with nice flavor need 24 months.


Young Parmigiano Reggiano, aged two years or less, is sweet, mellow and mild. All good Parmigiano Reggiano will be a complex mix of nutty, buttery, and somewhat sweet but the flavor of the older cheese will be more intense and piquant. As the cheese ages, tiny, sharp crystals form in the paste. They provide a wonderful contrast to the smoothness of the cheese. Many think these are salt crystals but they are not. During the aging process, the proteins in the cheese break down into smaller units. Some of the nutritional units are converted naturally into the crystalline structure that contributes to the incredible texture of the aged cheese.


Parmigiano Reggiano is for grating and adding to dishes where its presence will enhance and deepen the flavors of the dish. Good Parmigiano, however is really meant for eating -- drizzled with an aged aceto balsamico, or honey and walnuts or paired with fruit or prosciutto. What a perfect way to end a meal!

What is…
Pecorino Romano (peh-koh-REE-noh roh-MAH-noh) cheese is a hard, unpasteurized, pressed sheep’s milk cheese. It is one of Italy’s oldest cheeses, dating back to Roman times. All pecorino is sheep’s milk cheese and Romano is a type of pecorino made in the area around Rome. Originally all Pecorino Romano cheese was made in the Lazio or Latium region of Italy (the region surrounding Rome). The land is relatively infertile so only sheep and goats can subsist on the grasses grown there. In the 1950’s, as the land around Rome became more valuable, many Pecorino Romano cheese producers moved to the island of Sardinia to reduce their costs. The Romano cheese made in Sardinia is referred to as Pecorino Sardo and is not of the same quality as that still made in the Lazio region.

There are only four companies that still produce Pecorino Romano in the Lazio region: Fulvi, Brunelli, Lopez, and Locatelli. The Romano cheese produced by these four companies is designated D.O.C. This Romano cheese comes in large oily cylinders that weigh about 40 lb. and are about 16 inches high and 12 inches in diameter. The natural rind is thin and dry and usually the same color as the paste (the interior of the cheese). The rind of D.O.C. Romano is imprinted with a diamond shaped logo containing an outline of a sheep’s head and the words Pecorino Romano. The cheese will also contain markings located in a square on each wheel containing the following information: the place of production (RM, RI, LT, or VT, which is Fulvi’s location), the number of the factory (which must be authorized by the Association of Pecorino Romano producers - Fulvi is 8) and the month and year of production (numbers 1 – 10 correspond to the months October – June). Often the rind is painted black. In this case the rind should not be eaten and will not be imprinted with the D.O.C. logo or the “square”.

Fulvi Romano’s creamy white paste (interior) is slightly oily and is hard, grainy, and somewhat crumbly. Occasionally there will be fissures in the interior. The flavor is sharp, salty, and very sheepy with a definite peppery bite. Fulvi’s Romano is not quite as hard or grainy as most Romanos because the sheep’s milk they use comes from small producers who take pride in the richness of the milk. Also, there are no additives or hormones allowed in the milk Fulvi uses. The sharpness of the flavor increases with the length of aging. D.O.C. Romano must be aged a minimum of 6 months and Fulvi’s Romano is aged a minimum of 10 months to 1 year. Romano is probably the most popular cheese in southern Italy. It is grated over pasta and combined with almost any vegetable. Shavings are also paired with salami and bread for a full flavored, tasty meal or with fruit for a simple dessert. It is a delicious cheese but it can take time to acquire a taste for “Genuine” Pecorino Romano. It is well worth the effort. Its piquancy and peppery bite make the cheese delicious by itself and contribute depth and bold flavor to any dish to which it is added.

“CHEESY” FACTS
• Both Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano are low in fat. The fat content is only 32 – 34% of dry matter in the Romano and about 32% of dry matter in Parmigiano Reggiano. To put these figures in perspective, the fat content of Brie is about 60% of dry matter. How nice to have a naturally low fat (and high protein) cheese that is full of flavor so you can be careful of your fat intake and still enjoy what you are eating.

• Both Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano are best when purchased as needed and in small quantities so they are always fresh. If you have to buy larger amounts, you need to store it carefully to ensure its freshness. Be sure to break off only as much cheese as you need at one time. Then moisten a cloth and wrap the remaining chunk in that damp cloth and then in aluminum foil (because it is not airtight). Store the cheese in the vegetable compartment.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Both cheeses are perfect for grating since they produce nice, fine, fluffy flecks of full flavored cheese. Because both Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano lose flavor quickly after grating it is best, whenever possible to grate the cheese immediately before using it rather than having the store grate it for you.

• If you are serving the cheeses by themselves, you should shard rather than cut small chunks of the cheese so you can take full advantage of the nooks and crannies of the uneven surface, which contributes to the depth and intensity of the flavor experience (and hold any honey or aceto balsamico drizzled over it).

• Both the Romano and the Parmigiano need full bodied red wines to stand up to their bold flavors. Serve Fulvi Romano with any of the local southern Italian red wines or other red wines such as Amarone, Barolo, Barbaresco, Chianti, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Serve Red Cow Parmigiano Reggiano with Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Reserva, Salice Salentino, Taurasai, and Tignanello. If you are serving the Red Cow as dessert, you can pair it with any dessert wine, such as Malvasia, Picolit, Moscato, or Vin Santo.