In this video, cathy strange, our global cheese buyer explains the process as team member forrest allen demonstrates. Opening a wheel of parmesan cheese parmigiano reggiano. The great parmigiano reggiano wheel cracking extravaganza. These rinds take literally seconds to make, and they are a great way to use up the end of a block of cheese. Chris strub breaks open a 75pound wheel of parmigianoreggiano cheese friday, nov. Eastern standard time est cheesemongers in our stores across the u. Our cheese expert on the king of cheese whole foods market. The process of cracking a wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese has been. In our region is custom to store the rinds in a fabric bag at the bottom of the fridge.
Parmesan is the term used to describe cheese made outside the traditional. All about serving and cooking with parmigianoreggiano. After a day or two, the buckle is released and a plastic belt imprinted numerous times with the parmigianoreggiano name, the plants number. Cracking open a wheel of parmigianoreggiano cheese. Our stores are buzzing with anticipation for the big event. The name is a dop protected designation of origin and it can only be made in the po river valley region, composed of reggio. As jackson suggests, contact local cheese shops or italian specialty shops in your area to see if any are willing to give you a peek. Lactose intolerant people can rejoice in that parmigianoreggiano cheese is highly digestible. What youre really getting when you buy parmesan cheese in. Learn the history of the cheese, and get buying, serving and winepairing tips. Parmigiano reggiano pdo is made only in its area of origin, its 100% natural with no addictives or preservatives, its lactose free and good for any age. The whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk of the previous evenings milking, resulting in a part skim mixture. The cheese is produced into a large drum shape with a very hard, yellow to orange rind which is inedible. The rind of these gigantic wheels of cheese is embossed all over in a repeating pattern with its name parmigiano reggiano in pin dots and the identification number of the.
How to tell the difference between parmesan, parmigiano, pecorino, and more buying a wedge of hard italian cheese can be confusing. The name is a pdo protected designation of origin and it can only be made in the po river valley region, composed of reggioemilia, parma, modena and portions of bologna and mantua. Parmigianoreggiano the king of italian cheese bob lipinski. The cheese is aged in 80 pound wheels, which must be cracked carefully by hand, no less to preserve the cheese s integrity. Parmigiano, or parmesan, is the most famous of all the grana or hard, grainy cheeses which are produced in northern and central italy, and only grana that is made around the town of parma can actually be called parmigiano reggiano. The problem is, i just dont use parmesan enough to ever have any rinds lying around, and im hardly going to buy a big block of expensive cheese just to cut off and use what ought to be.
Parmigiano reggiano is aged in 80 pound wheels, which must be. The dedication of the farmers and the cheesemakers is incredible, said whole foods global cheese buyer cathy strange, who also talks about the cheese. The hollowedout rind of a whole wheel of parmigiano can be a spectacular serving vessel for large groups of guests, with the remaining cheese melting into hot food. Then someone came along and stated that some of them are waxed, which is what has me a bit confused. Deerfield, il be part of a nationwide cheese cracking as whole foods market celebrates parmigiano reggianothe king of cheeses. The belgium cheese master philippe moreau demonstrates how to open a wheel. The cheese is expensive to begin with, but considering the amount of the rind i have. The italian take their cheeses and their balsamic vinegars, for that. The difference between parmesan and parmigianoreggiano. Whole foods market even hosts a national parmigiano reggiano cracking event.
Meaning that the rind naturally occurs as part of the aging or drying process. Parmigianoreggiano or parmesan is an italian hard, granular cheese that is produced from. Cathy strange talks about parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus information about whole foods markets annual parm crack. Perhaps, when the cheesemaker scored the rind with his knife and wedged in the. At the fourweek mark, the paper towel and foilwrapped cheese was downright mushy, the parchmentwrapped cheese was so dry we were calling it cheese jerky, and the plasticwrapped cheese tasted distinctly sour and astringent. I was able to sample the prodects sent and they were acceptable, for the most part. The cheese is put into a stainless steel, round form that is pulled tight with a springpowered buckle so the cheese retains its wheel shape. After a minimum of 12 months of aging, cheesemakers determine if the wheelshaped cheese should be sold or continued to be aged for 24, 36, 40 months or longer. The poster claimed that true imported parmigiano reggiano is not waxed.
It commonly happens when cheese has been brined or rubbed over in butter before aging, but there are other problems that can contribute to a cracked rind on. Ok, i admit it, my family and i are a bunch of cheese fanatics and parmigiano reggiano cheese is at the top of the list. The parchment and foilwrapped sample was still the best of show, followed closely by the zipperlock bagged cheese. Repairing cracks in the surface of hard cheese cultures for health. Our winner is sold by boars head, an american company that purchases parmigianoreggiano and sells it under its name. Parmigiano reggiano cheese rind puffs are crispy clouds of parmigiano reggiano cheese, made by microwaving thin but wide slices of parmigiano reggiano cheese with the rind. When it comes to using a grated cheese on pastas and salads, i dont think anything beats parmigiano reggiano for flavor. This method of cracking is a centuriesold tradition that protects the structural integrity of the cheese, hobt said. The wheel is halved and quartered, with the quarters further broken down into pieces bearing the band of rind identifying the cheese as authentic parmigianoreggiano.
Italian parmigiano reggiano pre cut approx 10 ounces. Our monthlong celebration of all things parmigiano reggiano ends in a very big way and youre invited. It was largely rind and while the edible portion of the wedge was very good, i think i deserved better for the dear price. I personally love this very unusual and tasty italianstyle grilled parmigiano reggiano cheese sandwich version of the classic grilled cheese sandwich. How would one know if the rind on a piece of parmigiano reggiano is waxed or not. This traditional cracking method perfectly reveals parmigiano reggianos delectably crunchy crystalline internal structure. Hyvee gets cracking on italian cheese progressive grocer. Parmigianoreggiano is made into large drumshaped wheels that have a hard natural rind and crumbly, aged interior. If you cut the crystals, the cheese deteriorates faster. Twentyone editors and cooks at americas test kitchen sampled each cheese plain. The 2012 loblaws stores parmigianoreggiano cheese cracking guiness record.
The cheese had sat at room temperature for three days to soften up a bit, but it was still a mighty effort to split. Parmigiano reggiano is widely considered the king of cheeses. Theres a reason some call parmigiano reggiano the king of cheese. The king of cheese well be cracking a wheel of parmigianoreggiano early on the morning of sunday, january 25th and the fresh cheese will be our super awesome one day deal for that day. Parmigiano reggiano is a classic cheese but its important to buy the best, to buy the authentic article. As bolla said, the cracking of the wheel is an event in itself. How to use the rind of parmesan cheese the new york times. Melissa clark discusses ways to use the rind of parmesan cheese. You know me, i like to start with a little historybrief, i promise.
So thats the diligence we have around handcracking and having a piece of that rind on every piece of parmigiano reggiano that you buy in our stores. Ryan evers, hyvee east manager of perishables, holds a wedge of parmigiano reggiano cheese as deli manager deb scuffham takes shavings of the italian cheese to offer to customers. A oneyearold parmesan will have a smooth texture and mild flavor, best suited for grating or. Parmesan cheese is completely additive free and the rind do not contain any waxing or coating, it is made of cheese. A guide to the king of cheeses, parmigianoreggiano wine.
These complex flavors are what make parmigianoreggiano cheese so popular. As a representative of the parmigianoreggiano cheese consortium. I accept to receive the newsletter of the parmigiano reggiano cheese consortium. Tasters were unanimous, voting boars head parmigianoreggiano the best supermarket parmesan of all the products we sampled. Parmigianoreggiano is a hard, dry cheese made from skimmed or partially skimmed cows milk. After scoring, stabbing, and wiggling their way around the rind, the wheel will simply crack in two.
The flavor is often described as spicy, savory, salty, fruity, caramelized, and nutty. Brown cow parmigiano reggiano dop rogers collection. Written by leska tomash parmigiano reggiano, as the name suggests, is a cows milk cheese first produced in the duchy of parma, an area that lies between the small italian villages of parma and reggio emilia. Its name is a protected designation of origin in europe. Opening a wheel of parmesan cheese parmigiano reggiano parmigianoreggiano is made from unpasteurized cows milk. Parmigiano reggiano is such a delicious and complete cheese that you can eat it as is for a snack, an aperitif or for a quick dinner. Parmigiano reggiano using the rind cooking egullet forums. Three ancient parmigiano reggianos and their revival. Being able to witness the cheesemaker cracking one of his wheels of parmigiano reggiano was an honor.
Pamigianoreggiano is a traditional, unpasteurized, hard cheese made from cows, skimmed milk. It has a hard palegolden rind and a strawcolored interior with a rich, sharp flavor. Ive always wanted to give my tomato soups, pasta sauces, stews etc that unbelievable umami kick that comes from adding a parmesan rind or two to the stock. Parmareggio company was founded in 1983 in montecavolo di quattro castella, amidst the hills of reggio emilia, in the production zone of parmigiano reggiano parmareggio is the heart of an integrated production and sale system headed by granterre group, founded over 50 years ago, which now leads the worlds sale of parmigiano reggiano cheese. Cracking a wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese whole foods market. Yet, parmigiano reggiano is at the same time the protagonist or ideal complement to many dishes, without ever losing its unique profile, and its perfect balance between sweetness and flavor. A professional cheese maker shows us unisg students how to properly break open a huge wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese. However, when it comes to grating, i find that the rind is so hard that it cant be grated. Matt nally, an employee in our pittsford cheese shop in rochester, ny demonstrates how we crack an 8085 pound wheel of parmigiano reggiano. Parmesan cheese labeled stravecchio has been aged three years, while stravecchiones are four or more years old. How to tell the difference between parmesan, parmigiano. After the splitting, the wheel of parmagianoreggiano is broken down into. Parmigiano reggiano is also a longaged cheese, averaging 20 months.
To be labeled simply parmigiano reggiano, it must mature for a minimum of 12 months. The pepper makes a wonderful tasting statement along with the parmigianoreggiano cheese, so use whole peppercorns and freshlygrind on your sandwich. The clue is in the name parmigiano reggiano has been made in the region. Grilled parmigiano reggiano cheese sandwich recipe, whats. Outside the eu, the name parmesan can legally be used for similar cheeses, with. Because of its long aging period, its paste is highly concentrated, containing only 30% water, offering a full 70% of its mass as nutrients rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The parmigiano reggiano rind is formed during the brine stage, when the wheels are soaked in water and sea salt for 21 days. Many artisanal cheesemakers are making highquality cheeses that are inspired by parmigianoreggiano.
And it was pretty satisfying when it suddenly just split. Cracking a wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese whole foods. A whole wheel of parmigiano reggiano weighs between 66 to 88 pounds. Parmigiano reggiano is an italian hard cheese made with raw cows milk.
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