Parmesan - The king of cheeses

• Pages: 13-16

quickly digested and easily

assimilated. Vaunted as “a

miniature storehouse of con-

centrated” nou rishment, i t is

rich in proteins, lipids, calci-

um and phosphorus and low

in fat and ch olesterol com-

pared to other c heeses.

The

Conzorzio

del Formaggio Parmigiano-

Reggiano

In sp ite of its widespread renown, Parme san pro-

duction was relati vely small until the early 190 0s,

when it e xpanded dramatically. Facing competi-

tion fro m cheaper i mitation produ cts, dairy farm-

ers joined rank s to fo rm t he

Conzorzio del

Formaggio Parmigi ano-Reggiano

(the Consortium)

in 1934. Since that time, th e Cons ortium, which

represents the interest s of some 409 dairie s in an

area en compassing ar ound 3,676 milk produce rs,

has ac tively promoted consumer a wareness of

the un iqueness of

Parmigiano Reggiano

. It also

plays a key role in upholdin g the produ ct’s name

and defen ding it agai nst improper use.

So what legal meas ures has th e Consortiu m taken

to safeg uard the n ame of Parm igiano Regg iano?

As Parme san’s distinctive ness and qualities are

closely l inked to its pl ace of origin an d method of

productio n, it qualifies for protecti on as a geo-

graphical indication (GI). Put simply, a G I is a sign

used on goods which have a speci fic geograp hi-

cal origin and particular qualities or reput ation

arising from that pl ace of origi n.

PARMESAN

THE KING OF CHEESES

>>>

1 T he white cry stals –

composed o f the

aminoacid tyrosine –

give the cheese its

characteris tic crunch

and result from its

maturing p rocess.

2 M eaning litera lly “of

Parma” and “of Reggio

Emilia.”

13

Known as the “King of

Cheeses,” Parmesan, or

Parmigiano Reggiano

was first

produced by Benedictine

and Cistercian monks a thou-

sand years ago. Over the

centuries, it has acquired

global promine nce and is

now a hugely popular

choice for food-lovers the

world over. While t his popularity translates into a

persistent and healthy demand, it has als o resulted

in pa rmesan becoming one of the m ost imitated

agricultural products in the world. As consumers,

how can we be sure that we have purchased “the

real deal”? In this article,

WIPO Magazine

explores

how the producers of

Parmigiano Reggiano

have

acquired legal recognition that their cheese is the

“one and only” Parmesan.

About Parmesan

The method of producing this hard, grainy1cheese,

which is cook ed and not pressed, h as changed lit-

tle over the centuries. Cheese-makers today use

the same natural ingredients as their predeces sors

did (raw milk, rennet and salt) and employ “the

same care and craftsm anship.” An iconic Italian

food,

Parmigiano Reggiano

2is produced in a well-

defined area of northern Italy – the p rovinces of

Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena and Bologna

(on the left ba nk of th e Reno R iver) and Mantova

(on the right bank of the Po River). Many different

factors determine the unique quali ty of

Parmigiano

Reggiano

cheese – from the soils used to produc e

the fodder on which the cows graze to the skills

used in the chee se-making process. Made from a

mixture of full fa t and sk immed milk, Parmesan is

An historical product

Literar y references to Parmesan date back to the 14th c entury. Bocca cio’s 1348 work

The Dec ameron

re-

lates “…and there was a w hole mountain o f Parmigiano chees e, all finely gra ted, on top of wh ich stood

people w ho were doing nothing but making ma caroni and rav ioli.”

An entr y by Brit ish Diarist, Samuel Pepys during the Great Fire o f London in 1666 notes that he bu ried

his “Parmezan cheese” to save it from the adv ancing fire.

Photo: C onzorzi o del Formag gio Pa rmigian o-Reggi ano

Only cheeses produced

according to the rules of

the Production

Regulation may bear the

distinctive Parmigiano

Reggiano marks.