The granular, crystal-studded cheese aged 12 to over 100 months in the dairies around Parma. Eaten in chunks with balsamico, grated over everything, and visited at the source.

Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries drained the plain around Parma and Reggio in the Middle Ages and needed a cheese that kept; nine centuries later the recipe is still milk, salt, rennet and time. Boccaccio already joked about a mountain of grated Parmigiano in the 1350s. The consortium fire-brands every approved wheel, dairies like Gennari and San Pier Damiani welcome visitors to the morning make, and ageings now stretch past 100 months for collectors.

Where to eat Parmigiano Reggiano in Parma

3 editor picks for Parmigiano Reggiano in Parma, ranked by editorial score. All Parma signature dishes · Parmigiano Reggiano across every city.

Book food experiences in Parma

Parma: Parmigiano-Reggiano Tour and Tasting★ 4.7 (58)
This dish

2 hours

Parma: Parmigiano-Reggiano Tour and Tasting

Enjoy the Italian countryside and learn how they make Parmigiano-Reggiano. Discover the subtle differences between different ages of this famous cheese in a delicious tasting.

from€50 Check dates

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 6 as an aperitivo20 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 300g Parmigiano Reggiano in two ages, 24 and 36 months or older
  • Traditional balsamic vinegar or a chestnut honey
  • Walnuts and pears
  • A sparkling Malvasia or Lambrusco

Method

  1. Break the cheese with a stubby almond-shaped knife into rough chunks; never slice it.
  2. Plate the two ages separately, youngest to oldest, left to right.
  3. Taste the young cheese first, then the older, noting the crunch of tyrosine crystals.
  4. Add a drop of balsamico or honey to the oldest pieces only.
  5. Serve with pears, walnuts and a cold glass of Malvasia.

Editor tip. Store the wedge wrapped in baking paper then loosely in cling film in the fridge door, never freezer, and it keeps for weeks.

Common allergens: Milk.