Parmigiano-Reggiano is a grana, a hard, granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma and Reggio Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is widely described by connoisseurs as the king of cheeses.
This is a cooked and unpressed, semi-fat hard cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is encased within a yellowish-golden rind on which the brand name Parmegiano Reggiano is stencilledn in small dots. This very flaky and highly soluble cheese is very finely grained and ranges in color from ivory white to to straw yellow.
Uses of the cheese include being grated over pasta, stirred into soup and risotto, and eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. It is also a key ingredient in alfredo sauce and pesto.
