Grana Padano
Grana Padano for flavour pasta, salads or meat dish!
The production of Grana Padano takes place in the Region of Piemonte, in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Torino, Verbania, Vercelli; in the region of Lombardia in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Milano, Monza, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese; in the region of Trentino alto Adige in the provinces of Trento and Bolzano; in the region of Veneto in the provinces of Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, Vicenza; and then in the region of Emilia Romagna in the provinces of Bologna, Ferrara, Forlì Cesena, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini.
Grana Padano is a PDO cheese produced throughout the year with semi-skimmed raw cow’s milk. It is a cooked cheese, hard and slow aging.
Discover Grana Padano
Grana Padano is a PDO cheese produced throughout the year with semi-skimmed raw cow’s milk. It is a cooked cheese, hard and slow aging; It is produced from raw cow’s milk from cows milked twice a day, whose basic diet consists of green fodder. Raw milk, stored in the barn and from there transported to the dairy, must not have undergone any physical, mechanical neither thermal treatment that could change the status of the natural raw milk.
The cheese Grana Padano was awarded the Protected Designation Origin status (PDO) by the European Union in 1996
Only to cheese that meets all the requirements established in the Product Specification and has completed at least eight months is affixed to focus the mark of Grana Padano PDO. However, this cheese may not be sold before the actual completion of the ninth month of age.
Grated Grana Padano PDO is made exclusively from whole cheese already certified. The grating must be done in a defined production territory.
The packaging must take place immediately, without any other process or addition of other substances.
On the crust of Grana Padano PDO, as well as on the packaging, it is possible to read how long it has been the aging time.
How many types of Grana Padano exist?
The categories provided in the Regulations are three:
- “Grana Padano DOP”, in English PDO
- “Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi”, over 16 aging months
- “Grana Padano Riserva – oltre 20 mesi” over 20 aging months
How much does it weigh Grana Padano?
Grana Padano has a cylindrical form, with a diameter between 35 and 45 cm and a height between 18 and 25 cm. Each form weighs between 24 and 40 kg
How to recognize Grana Padano?
With the aim of protecting all the steps needed to produce Grana Padano, as they are indicated in the Production Guidelines, to achieve the high quality of all forms, in 1954 the Grana Padano Protection Consortium, called in Italian Consorzio tutela Grana Padano, was founded. The consortium brings together 130 producers, 153 seasoners, 132 authorized facilities for portioning Grana Padano PDO and 31 facilities for packaging grated Grana Padano PDO cheese.
What is the history of Grana Padano?
The production of this hard cheese began in the Middle-aged. In 1135 the Cistercian monks founded the Chiaravalle Abbey, an abbey located not far from the south walls of Milan, in an area that was marshy.
The monks reclaimed that area in the Po river plain and started cultivating crops and rearing livestock. Very soon they got a surplus of milk, and they needed to find a way to preserve that milk for longer periods, not to waste one of the most nutritious food that was available at that time. It was in this situation that has been produced the cheese called by the monks with the Latin name “caseus vetus”, that means “old cheese”. This cheese was later called “grana” cheese, due to its granular structure.
The cheese produced in the Po river plain became increasingly very popular, a cheese with two souls: an important ingredient in the elaborate recipes of the aristocratic cuisine and the basis of the popular gastronomic tradition.
On the 1 of June 1951 in Stresa, a nice little town in front of the Lake Maggiore, took place a meeting of workers and technicians of the European cheese-making industry. During this meeting the experts distinguish two different types of the cheese called “Grana Lodigiano”: they have been identified as “Grana Padano” and “Parmigiano Reggiano”.
Recipes and News
Cured meats in Veneto
Cured meats are the excellence of Italian food and wine tradition and are often accompanied by local specialties that enhance the flavor. Today we discover Veneto’s!
Marche Specialty: Fabriano Salami
The Fabriano salami, is one of the noblest products of the Marche pork-butchery and has an ancient tradition and prestige. It is produced by very few artisans but the average quality is excellent. This Slow Food association wants to convince some other small breeders...
Discover Parma
Parma city is located in the Northern part of the region Emilia-Romagna. What to See in Parma Parma’s downtown is full of thing to see: from art masterpieces, wide green spaces to little and big treasures from different ages...The presence of music in the history of...
Baked Mozzarella in Carrozza Recipe
Today we propose to you a very simple recipe that makes mozzarella the star of it: Mozzarella in Carrozza. Summer is here and with it comes the enjoyment of eating tasty yet simple and quick recepies. A staple in the Italian summer is, of course, the amazing...
Mozzarella: History, Production and Types
Mozzarella is a type of cheese that is fresh stretched and soft which lends itself to a pretty fast consumption. White, shiny and without rind, it is characterized by a pleasantly fibrous but soft consistency, the aroma of milk and the flavor that transmits a slight...
Homemade Lasagne Recipe
Lasagna is the typical Italian Sunday dish. This rich and tasty dish originates from Emilia and, specifically, from the city of Bologna. Lasagna, however, is known, appreciated, made, remade, tasted and shared not only throughout Italy, but also abroad as an Italian...
Recipe: Truffle Fettuccine
If you want to bring to the table a fine dish that knows how to conquer the most demanding palates and delight them with an unmistakable aroma, this first course is just for you! The truffle fettuccine has a mix of aromas and flavors that your guests will hardly be...
Alba White Truffle Fair
It’s official: from the 9th of October to the 5th of December 2021 it’ll take place the International Alba White Truffle Fair. The ideal place to appreciate and buy the best of truffles from the woods of Langhe Roero and Monferrato.
Grissini Sweet Pairings
Grissini is a special type of bread, born in Turin in the shape of thin, dry and crunchy rods, and therefore more easily digestible, made of leavened bread dough prepared with type 0 and type 00 soft wheat flour, with or without salt, sometimes seasoned with oil or...
Recipe: Fruit Salad, Balsamic Vinegar PDO and Ice Cream
During summer all we want to do is preparing quick and easy recipes. So today we decided to propose you a very effective, simple and delicious recipe.
Balsamic Vinegar PDO
The grapes for the production of traditional balsamic vinegar PDO of Modena must be produced in the traditional territory of the Province of Modena. Similarly, processing and bottling must also take place in the provincial area. Balsamic Vinegar PDO Charachteristics...
White Truffle
The prized white truffle, scientific name tuber magnatum pico is considered the truffle par excellence because it is of considerable commercial importance…
Paccheri Pasta
Neapolitan paccheri perfectly absorb condiments and blend with any ingredient thanks to their convexity and their rough surface retain the sauces and guarantee an incomparable taste….
Zucchini Risotto with Balsamic Vinegar
Let’s start with facts: risotto is a typical first course of Italian cuisine, originally from Veneto then spread throughout…
Why Saffron is Expesive ?
Saffron produced in Italy is a very high quality product, often sold at much higher prices than saffron that comes from Iran or Morocco….
Pasta and Cheese Pairings
Pasta and cheese...a happy marriage that has its roots in very remote times. In the Italian tradition, pasta can be seasoned in many ways, but without the cheese something is often lost: it is an ingredient that enhances the goodness of pasta, enhances the intense...
How Much does it Weigh Grana Padano?
Have you ever wondered how much a form of Grana Padano cheese weighs? Or how much milk does it take to make it? Or, again: what size is it? Today we try to answer all these curiosities. Grana Padano Production Process 1,000 liters of raw milk are first...
How Many Types of Grana Padano Cheese Exist?
How many types of Grana Padano exist? The categories provided in the Regulations are three…
Grana Padano PDO
The Grana Padano PDO it is a semi-fat, long-aged, hard cheese. It fits into parmesan cheeses. It is also the best-selling cheese in the world.
Liguran Pasta Types
Trofie Pasta Recipe Taste Italian Pecorino: Buy Now!
The most amazing wine pairings with prosciutto
Wine pairings with prosciutto can take its tasting to a whole new level, in fact, the wines we listed here are actually the best ones.
Trofie Pasta
Trofie Pasta is a type of pasta that The Ligurian trofie are a particular type of pasta of Ligurian cuisine, characterized by an elongated, intertwined and thin shape
Stale Bread: Recipe on How to Reuse it
Ever wondered how to reuse the leftovers of stale bread? Well, we have a tasty recipe for you!
Lasagne Pasta
Lasagna is a typical first course of Emilian gastronomy, a recipe known and appreciated throughout Italy plus it is also the Italian Sunday dish par excellence….
Pappardelle Pasta
Pappardelle are a type of pasta of the Tuscan homemade tradition, made of a mixture of flour, eggs and salt combined with art to form wide strips, rustic and rough to the touch…
Fusilli
Fusilli are a type of pasta, originally from Campania. In Gragnano, to these days, they are made by hand, rolling spaghetti with a wire and then drying them…
Mediterranean Diet: The Best in the World
Mediterranean dieta has been ranked the best in the world by the best diet ranking 2021 elaborated by the U.S. media U.S. News & World Report!
Crostata Cake: History and Interesting Facts
Crostata Cake: It is not easy to trace the origin of the tart, but we can certainly define it as one of the oldest sweets in the peninsula…
Penne Pasta
Penne or pen are generally a type of pasta of cylindrical, tube-shaped pasta made from durum wheat flour…
Aquilian Saffron
Aquilian safforn is the best in the world…That’s also because saffron has origins from the island of Crete and has spread throughout the East, in fact, the development in Abruzzo has something casual and miraculous…
Carbonara Day: All You Need To Know
Carbonara Day is celebrated – promoted by Union food pasta makers and by Ipo (International Pasta Organization) with the We Love Pasta website – which last year involved over 500 million people who they participated on…
Saffron and Mushrooms Gnocchi Recipe
This saffron and mushrooms gnocchi recipe is delicious and very quick to make. Gnocchi are an ancient food invented in Veneto initially prepared with various types of flours (wheat, rice) or even with dry bread or breadcrumb, sometimes vegetables of various types were...
Campania Olive Oil: IGP recognition
Campania Olive Oil presents traditional, unique and inimitable gastronomic charachteristics. These olive oils that have been made since ancient years, with production methods handed down from generation to generation
Dosage of Saffron
The dosage of saffron to put in a recipe obviously depend on what you have to do and the chef's inspiration...If you are making the classic Milanese risotto we generally recommend a dose of 12/15 threads per serving (80-90 grams of rice), or 0.15 grams for a risotto...
Easter Muffin Recipe with Parmesan
There is this Easter Muffin Recipe with Parmesan that is used every year in Italy as a way to celebrate the holiday. The ingredients are connected to the history of easter, sacrality and christianity. Bread is Christ bread of life, wine and his blood, meat is his...
Balsamic Vinegar PGI
Balsamic Vinegar PGI of Modena is produced in the territories of the province of Modena and, although the name does not suggest it, also in those of the province of Reggio Emilia. It is a lower quality vinegar than PDO. More widespread, cheaper, but also less pure. As...
Pizzoccheri Pasta
Pizzoccheri Pasta are a type of pasta which is very fresh and its shape is made with a mixture of buckwheat flour, strong flour and water.The history of pizzoccheri takes us to Valtellina, to be precise to Teglio, a splendid village in the province of Sondrio. Teglio...
History of Saffron
The history of saffron starts since ancient times, it is mentioned in Greek myths and in the Bible. For centuries our Crocus Sativus has been appreciated in the kitchen and has always been considered precious, so much so that it is a symbol of wealth. About Saffron...
Saffron in Pistils
Using pure saffron is very simple, we will explain in 3 steps how to use saffron pistils (or more correctly stigmas) for your recipes. The spice called saffron is obtained from the stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, belonging to the Iridaceae family. Successfully...
The History of Colomba
The History of Colomba starts with a legend, but first let's talk about what actually is, Colomba. The Colomba Pasquale is the typical leavened cake of the Italian tradition, which is brought to the table on Easter day together with the Neapolitan Pastiera; and is...