Grana Padano PDO - 15 months

The Grana Padano PDO production and grating area covers the territory in the Piedmont region of the provinces of: Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Turin, Verbania and Vercelli. In the Lombardy region the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantua to the left of the Po, Milan, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese. The autonomous province of Trento. In the region Veneto the provinces of Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona, Vicenza. In the Emilia-Romagna region the provinces of Bologna to the right of the Reno, Ferrara, Forlì-Cesena, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini. In addition, the entire administrative territory of the municipalities of: Anterivo, Lauregno, Proves, Senale-San Felice and Trodena in the autonomous province of Bolzano.

The milk is partially skimmed by natural creaming, at a temperature of between 8 and 20 °C, and placed in copper or copper-lined boilers with a characteristic inverted bell shape. Natural whey starter is added to the milk in the cauldrons, then heated to 31-33 °C and calf rennet is added for coagulation. The curd is then broken up with a bobbin and cooked under stirring to a maximum temperature of 56 °C. To reduce the risk of delayed swelling due to possible contamination of the milk by Clostridium tyrobutyricum, the addition of lysozyme, a natural enzyme extracted from egg white, is permitted. The cheese mass is deposited at the bottom of the boiler and is left to settle for up to 70 minutes to firm up and drain off the whey. Finally, the operators, using a wooden shovel and a cloth (schiavino), lift it inside the cauldron and cut it into two equal parts, called 'twin moulds'. Each of them is wrapped in a linen cloth, taken out of the boiler and placed on the spreader. It is then placed, for at least 48 hours, in the special moulds, which imprint the marks of origin and then in brine for a period of 14 to 30 days. After drying, which can take place in a room known as a hot chamber or stewing room, the maturing process begins, lasting from a minimum of 9 to over 20 months. At the end of the eighth month, the cheeses are subjected to an expert examination, which gives rise to branding, or, if the product does not have the characteristics specified in the specification, to the cancellation of the marks of origin imprinted on the moulds, by means of 'screening'. The wheels of Grana Padano PDO bear the mark of origin and a series of diamond-shaped dashed lozenges containing the words 'GRANA' and 'PADANO', repeated throughout the whole wheel, except for a space intended for the 'GRANA PADANO' firebrand mark; in the centre is a four-leaved clover, bearing the initials of the province of location and the serial number of the producing dairy and the words 'PDO'; to the lower left of the clover is the CE mark, identifying the production plant, while the month and year of production appear on the right.

The origins of Grana Padano PDO date back to the year 1000, when the Cistercian monks, in response to the need to conserve the excess milk that was produced in the area, experimented with the production of a hard cheese that would last over time, the 'caseus vetus', later called grana. By the end of the 11th century, this product was already an established reality, with a real commercial network.

Characteristics

Grana Padano PDO has a cylindrical shape, a hard, thick and smooth rind, golden yellow in colour. The paste is finely grainy, straw-yellow in colour, with barely visible holes. The aroma is fragrant with hints of butter and hay, while the flavour is rich, complex and with a generous savouriness.

Pairings

Grana Padano is perfect for tasty and healthy aperitifs, appetisers and main courses. You can combine it with cured meats, jams and pickled vegetables. You can enjoy it in flakes, chunks or grated to add flavour to dry pasta dishes, traditional first courses and soups.

The most appropriate wine is a full-bodied and persistent red, or a white with a strong, fruity character.

Milk, salt, rennet, preservative: Lysozyme

Vacuum-packed Grana Padano PDO should be stored in the refrigerator at 2-8 °C. Once opened, wrap it in a dishcloth and place it in an aroma-protection container or a transparent plastic food bag.