Description
Grana Padano PDO is a hard, cooked cheese that undergoes a slow ripening process. It is produced with raw cow’s milk originating from cows that are milked twice a day, or from cows milked with free access to an automatic milking system and fed with fresh or dried forage from the production area.
Production Area
The production area of Grana Padano PDO is Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Turin, Verbania-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli in the Piedmont region; Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantua (left of the River Po), Milan, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese in the Lombardy region; the autonomous Province of Trento; Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona and Vicenza in the Veneto region; Bologna (right of the River Reno), Ferrara, Forlì-Cesena, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini in the Emilia-Romagna region; the entire administrative territory of the municipalities of Anterivo, Lauregno, Proves, Senale-S. Felice and Trodena in the autonomous Province of Bolzano.
Production Method
For the production of the cheese, the processing of milk from a single milking or a mixture of several milkings is permitted. The milk is partially skimmed through the natural separation of the cream, at a temperature of 8-20 °C. The milk is then put into copper or copper-lined boilers with a characteristic upside-down bell-shape. A natural whey starter is added and the milk, heated to a temperature of 31-33 °C, curdles with the addition of calf rennet. The curd is broken with a curd knife before starting the agitation and cooking process, which is terminated when the temperature reaches 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 settles on the bottom of the boiler and is left to rest for a maximum of 70 minutes, during which time it firms up and the whey is expelled. It is then lifted from the boiler with the aid of a wooden shovel and towel (schiavino), and cut into two equal parts, the so-called forme gemelle (twin wheels). Each part is wrapped in a linen cloth and removed from the boiler onto the finishing table. The wheels are placed in moulds for at least 48 hours, which imprint the cheese with the marks of origin; this is followed by brining for 14 to 30 days. After the wheels have been dried in the so-called hot room or in heated areas, they are left to ripen for a minimum of 9 months to over 20. At the end of the eighth months, the cheese is submitted to a series of product tests, after which it is fire-branded, or if the cheese does not possess the mandatory characteristics specified in the product specification, the marks of origin imprinted by the mould are removed by “shaving”. The wheels of Grana Padano PDO bear the mark of origin and a series of diamond-shaped lozenges containing the words "GRANA" and "PADANO", repeated across the entire wheel, with the exception of a space left for the "GRANA PADANO" firebrand mark; in the centre there is a four-leaved clover bearing the initials of the province the producer is based in and the dairy’s serial number, as well as the term "PDO"; to the lower left of the clover is the EC mark, identifying the production factory, while the month and year of production are to the right. Any grating or packaging processes must take place exclusively within the production area.
Appearance and Flavour
Grana Padano PDO has a cylindrical shape and a hard, thick, smooth rind with a dark to natural golden-yellow colour. The cheese is fine-grained and ranges from white to straw-yellow, with barely visible eyes. It has a fragrant aroma and a delicate flavour.
History
The origins of Grana Padano PDO date back around AD 1000, when the Cistercian monks experimented with the production of a long-lasting hard cheese, caseus vetus, later named grana. By the end of the 11th century, this cheese was already an established product, with its own commercial network.
Gastronomy
Grana Padano PDO is used either as a table cheese or a grated cheese, the latter being used as an ingredient in both traditional and non-traditional Italian dishes, depending on how mature it is. It should be kept in the refrigerator, wrapped in a cling film to prevent oxidisation and dehydration.
Marketing
The product is marketed in the following typologies: Grana Padano PDO, with the possibility of specifying the actual period of ripening, from Over 12 Months to Over 18 Months; Grana Padano PDO Riserva Over 20 Months; Grana Padano PDO Over 24 months. The product logo must appear on all packets of grated and pieces cheese.
Distinctive Features
Grana Padano PDO is a complete food product that promotes well-being thanks to its excellent balance of energy value, quality and quantity of nutrients, especially calcium. Naturally, it is also lactose and gluten free.
