Grana Padano

Grana Padano is an extra-hard cheese from the Po Valley and some other, defined by Italian law regions in northern Italy. Entitled to produce the officially call themselves Grana Padano dürfenden hard cheese are the areas of the following provinces: Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Novara, Torino, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Mantova a sinistra del Po ( Mantuesisches area left of the Po ), Milano, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese, Trento, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona, Vicenza, Bologna a destra del fiume Reno ( ie the area to the right of the river Reno ), Ferrara, Forlì, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini. Not all of these areas of origin are in the Po Valley.

History

The cheese originated around the year 1000, probably in 1135, in the midst of the Southern Lombardy, as monks of the Cistercian monastery in Chiaravalle Milanese had to make excess milk durable. From the 12th century foundations of several dairies are known, a hard cheese with a grainy texture under the name " grana " (from granuloso, grainy ') produced. The popularity of grana in Lombardy increased production, the long shelf life has been for the trade so advantageous that he trade in the region influenced prevail over centuries.

The method of preparation of grana padano changed only slightly over the centuries and made him one of the most popular and most imitated cheeses in the world.

Storage and consumption

The Grana Padano should be stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of four degrees Celsius. It is recommended to complete the cheese kept in plastic wrap to prevent drying out and taste transfer to and from other foods. However, If you want to cancel it very long, so you should to prevent mold, all pieces individually wrap him in a clean kitchen towel and place this at the top of the refrigerator, as it is at its driest. Drying the cheese in this manner from more gradually and becomes harder but so can be up to two years are stored. Should be eaten the cheese at room temperature.

Quality Mark

A quality indicator is printed on all packaging with grated or packaged in pieces of cheese. When buying whole loaves of the logo is burned into the bark.

Use

The Grana Padano is used similarly to the more matured Parmigiano Reggiano. Especially with fresh grated cheese the softer and milder tasting Grana is often preferred.

The cheese is used in different ways:

• The fresh Grana Padano (12 months maturation ) is especially suitable for browning all dishes are cooked in the oven.
• Grana Padano medium maturity (12-18 months ) is typical in fillings for meat, pasta, fish or vegetables.
• The long -ripened cheese (18-24 months) is mainly used as a table cheese, corresponding to a Marsala or Vin Santo.
• The "extra mature ' cheese ( over 24 months stored ) is used almost exclusively for soups, stews and pasta used (eg pesto).

For the sale of cheese is typically broken into pieces, so that a larger surface area is created and it can develop its aroma better. Therefore, it is called as Parmigiano Reggiano " cheese break ." For breaking has its own drop-shaped short Parmesan knife. In addition, the cheese is offered in grated form. This may be called only Grana Padano, if it is grated and packaged in the place of origin.

Quality characteristics are the salt crystals in the cheese and the brittle - grained structure. Further, one recognizes real Grana Padano on the diamond-shaped mark on the bark and labeled. The rind is edible, but very tough and hard, which is why it often is used in soups.