The beginnings of what is now known as parmesan cheese dates back to the middle ages when monks in the Parma-Reggio region of northern Italy began producing a hard cheese in their monasteries. By the early 14th century, parmigiano reggiano had travelled to the port cities of Pisa and Livorna which in turn made it accessible to ports all over the mediterranean. The popularity of the cheese increased making the parma region famous. True parmigiano reggiano can only be produced in the parma region. The original name was shortened by italian nobles in the 1530s to Parmesano meaning “of or from Parma.” Around the same time, the cheese was becoming increasingly popular in France. The french began referring to it as Parmesan and the name stuck.
Today we visited Latteria Santo Stefano which was founded in 1922. Their cheese making process begins with the milk that is produced in the partner’s stables throughout the foothills of Val Parma and Val d’Enza.The distinct aroma of the cheese is due to the herbs and flowers grown in this area. The cheese production process begins when fresh milk is left to rest overnight in large vats where the fatty part will rise to the surface and is later used for the production of butter. The skimmed milk is then poured into bell-shaped copper cauldrons where calf rennet and fermented whey are added. The milk coagulates in around ten minutes forming a curd that is broken down with a tool called a spino. The mixture is then heated to 55 degrees celsius as it forms a mass. The cheese mass is removed after 50 minutes, cut and wrapped in a cloth before being placed in a mould to give it shape. The cheese is then numbered and marked with the month and year of production. After a few days it will then be immersed in a water and salt-saturated solution to end the production process and begin the process of maturation. Maturation can take up to 48 months. Each cheese is sealed with a red, silver or golden seal depending on how long it matured. Red signifies 18 months, silver signifies 22 months and gold signifies 30+ months. Beginning in 1922, the dairy contained only 1 boiler and was able to boil 200,000 kg of milk per year. Today the dairy contains 30 boilers and processes 12 million kg of milk per year. It also contains a seasoning warehouse that houses 25,000 forms that is completed by a portioning and packaging line. The dairy sells Parmigiano Reggiano in cuts up to the 1/2 form. At the shop you will also find gift packages and gadgets.