Another fine Italian food product from the northern regions of Italy is the mouth-watering parmesan Reggiano cheese Parmesan Regiano that also adheres to the strict quality standards of the Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano. Aged 24 months and hailing from the Emilio Romagna region of Italy the parmesan Reggiano is a hard, flat granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna in Emilia-Romagna and Mantova in Lombard, Italy. Parmesan Reggiano is made from raw cow’s milk mixed with naturally skimmed milk in copper-lined vats. The procedure produces a sharp, complex taste of both fruits and nuts and a gritty texture.

Over the next three years the European Union and the government of Italy are partnering efforts to promote fine Italian foods from the Parma region of northern Italy and the parmesan Reggiano cheese is one of the flagship products. The average parmesan Reggiano cheese wheel is roughly 7” to 9” high, 16” to 18” in diameter and weighs in at approximately 80lbs. This versatile cheese has many uses including being grated with a grater over pasta, stirred into soup or risotto and eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. The Parmesan Reggiano is also a key ingredient in Alfredo sauces and pesto.