This short article is intended to be a tool for consumers to make informed choices when purchasing Parmigiano Reggiano (PR). We are talking about an artisanal product, of extreme quality, where each wheel produced is different from the others.
As we will see later, there are small variations in the operations of producers (I call producers the complex system of operators in the sector) that interact together to create the uniqueness of the product that will be placed on the market.
The production of Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) is regulated by strict specifications drawn up by the “protected designation of origin” (PDO) protection consortium, which, is one of the largest organizations in the world is a complex system made up of territories, breeders, dairies, maturers and traders, organized in various ways.
About 350 dairies operate in the PDO with a total of 2250 dairy farmers producing the milk; there are about 245000 cows, with an average of a hundred head per stall.
Maturing can take place either directly at the cheese factories where the cheese is produced or at large cheese ripeners who buy the cheese from different dairies and brand it with their own trademark.
The number of producers who really control the entire supply chain, that is, from the cultivation of wheat fields, Unfortunately, the number of producers who really control the entire supply chain, from the cultivation of fields, all the way to retail is still very small in number, and this is a big problem as will be explained later.
The Italian Food Valley project aims to assess who are those few producers who manage the entire production chain, discover their secrets and help consumers make informed choices when buying.
The process to create this wonderful product is relatively simple, but it takes wisdom to express all the biodiversity that the territory can give; PR is only the end result of choices made in the field during the entire production chain starting from the feeding of the cows to the period and place of seasoning of the wheels.
This world although extremely “disciplined” (the consortium Parmigiano Reggiano rules that every producer must follow to make PR) is very “diverse,” because fortunately there are some variables that the operators in the field can manage to characterize their products; in the stables we can find fodder from wild grassland, or from fields cultivated with alfalfa in the case of mountain farms we talk about fresh or dried fodder obtained from mowing stable polyphyletic meadows, in addition to that from fields cultivated in high altitude naturally.
The breeds of cattle in the stables are fassona, bruna, white modenese or red reggiana sometimes bred together and sometimes instead bred by breed type, because, as is well known, different breeds produce milk with different organoleptic characteristics and different quantitative yields.
Another aspect to keep in mind, which explains the variability of cheese is the management of the animals in the barn, in fact, animal welfare care is implemented by building barns with space for movement and grazing, when possible, this barn design makes the animals less stressed and leads to qualitatively better milk production.
To get a little more specific about this world, I begin by describing the organization of production dairies:
70% are dairy cooperatives
19% farm dairies
11% dairies that purchase milk.
The organizational choice of the dairy sometimes also determines the different manner of how and where the product is aged and how it is marketed.
Below I will analyze key points in the production chain that determine the variety of the product that will be marketed and qualify some producers over others:
1.Breed of cows
2.Altitude of the fields and positioning of the stables
3.Microclimates
4.Herbs and hay
5.People and bacteria
6.Innovative techniques and traditions
The breed of cattle
The most widespread breed is the Friesian the black and white one to be clear that represents for many the cow par excellence is an imported breed is present in large numbers in all stables because it is a cow that produces a lot of milk, the high milk productivity of the bovine has come at the expense of a reduction in the concentration of protein and fat which are the compounds that actually create cheese. Through genetic selection, however, it was advantageous for some breeders to breed Friesian cows because a good cheese yield was obtained. Slowly with the genetic selection of the Friesian, it also caught up in terms of protein and fat compared to local breeds such as the rossa reggiana and the bruna.
In any case, the red reggiana has as well as other native breeds a k casein peculiarity that possesses optimal dairy qualities both in coagulation and curd.
Milk is not exclusively a product that depends on the genetics of the cow, and cheese is not the result of the skill of the cheesemaker.
The Territory
parmesan is produced in a small part of Emilia that includes the lowland and Apennine areas. The variation in altitude brings distinct belts with different particular forage essences unlike the Alps, in the Appennini there is no free grazing at high altitudes. The alfalfa grown in mountainous areas of the Apennines is preferred because it resists drought better than in the plains, of course in mountainous areas there is a presence of stable meadows i.e. agrosystems with a high variability of plant essences, in some cases over 100 different species in other areas one can find polyphyletic meadows with few forage essences.
Feeding of cows that produce milk
The diet of cows whose milk is intended for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano consists of fresh or dried fodder (mainly stable meadow or alfalfa hay) from the area of origin.
Fermented fodder is prohibited as it carries anti-cheese bacteria, which additives would have to be used to be counteracted, which are prohibited by the specification.
Along with fodder, the feeding regulations also provide for the use of feeds composed of grains such as corn, barley, wheat …..ma must be fed as is or crushed in the form of a meal.
These feeds provide energy, protein, and specific vitamins that are useful in sustaining strain for the animal during the various stages of calf gestation.
The valuable use of fresh and dried fodder that is mandated by the specification is obtained from the mowing of stable polyphyletic meadows (ancient and never plowed for decades rich in more than sixty grasses and alfalfa that persists on the same land even 4 or 5 years)
This agronomic practice is contrasted with the cultivation of corn from which silage is made, which is prohibited in PR production with an important impact on the sustainability of agricultural practice. In fact, compared to corn, stable grassland and alfalfa crops require less irrigation water use, no pesticide distribution, very little use of chemical cover crop fertilizers, most often replaced by organic manure, and in addition, stable grassland makes a huge contribution to reducing soil erosion.
Bacteria and humans
In addition to the variability of forages, there are different bacterial ecosystems their contribution to the variability of the taste of the finished product is of great significance. In fact, different ecotypes of bacteria can influence the taste profile of the product by giving different taste nuances. Microbiological diversity is linked to forages so in addition to the type of herbaceous essence to the field management system and the skill of the farmer in controlling haying men and bacteria, key players in taste diversity.
Cattle psycho-physical stress and milk quality
The type of barn husbandry affects the psycho-physical stress of cows loose housing and elements that limit heat during the summer period are elements that improve milk quality parameters. The winter season is the best season for cattle in past years in fact the best PR was that produced in winter. During the summer period the animals take in more water, which partly dilutes the milk and therefore there is a need for more attention from the dairyman during processing.
Cheesemaker’s skills and differences in the cheese
During the summer period, cows feed on fresh flowering grasses that give the cheese if properly processed a different flavor and fragrance than the winter product.
Operations at the dairy are conducted in an artisanal manner by the cheesemaker, one of the most interesting processes that diversifies Parmigiano Reggiano are the activities that are carried out after the pinning:
checking the right consistency of the curd and the size of the granules; in these cases, the human factor is fortunately very important.
The cheesemaker in fact is a person who all year round day after day with his own hands has to interpret the milk.
Milk is not all the same day after day even if it comes from the same farm, let alone when it comes from different farms.
Of course, technology has entered the dairy as well; there are dairies that have modernized in somewhat complicated processes such as “spinatura” (curd breaking) trying to give homogeneity between forms (more homogeneous curd shape)
Other cheesemakers have chosen to continue doing the same operation still manually to better characterize each shape produced.
There are cheesemakers who “spinano” (curd breaking) up to the shape of the grain of rice, there are cheesemakers who don’t; they “spin big” but instead, dry the grains more afterward.
Another aspect where technology can make inroads is in the construction and management of the cream (cream) “outcrop tanks” where the fat content is controlled; in fact, the amount of fat in the boilers and in particular the ratio of fat in the milk to casein affects the taste and texture of the cheese.
Until now, unfortunately, about 80 percent of Parmigiano Reggiano production is sold to companies that buy from multiple dairies and season, select and package the cheese under their own brand name. It is these companies that then supply large retailers i.e., large supermarket chains.
Often the price of PR from large retail chains is quite low, lower than the price of PR bought directly from a trusted dairy.
This happens because supermarkets adopt low-price, often below-cost PR policies to attract customers inside the supermarket and then marginalize other products. Good business for the supermarket bad business for producers and consumers.
In a future article, I will try to explain why this vicious circle has come about and how it is possible to find even poor-quality pieces of PR within supermarkets, and how instead a conscious consumer should buy Parmigiano Reggiano.