Parmesan

Named after the ancient duchy of Parma, where this cheese was first produced 2,000 years ago, Parmesan is in reality the generic name for a family of hard cheeses known in the Italian peninsula as “grana”. Parmesan, made of skimmed milk mixed with rennet and saffron, is matured for one year in a cool store before being covered with a black-coloured mixture of oil, wine and fumo nero; it is then matured for at least one year longer at a higher, more moist temperature. Parmesan’s dry texture keeps for years and gains in aromatic flavour.