During that time, the Benedictine and Cistercian monks, committed to finding a cheese that could last long, were the first producers: using the salt from the Salsomaggiore salt mines and the milk of the cows bred in the granges. Benedictine monks created this cheese when they needed to find a way to extend the shelf-life of the large quantity of milk they were producing.
Soon, monasteries and castles in Parma and Reggio Emilia surroundings were turned into real cheese factories. Benedictine agricultural and commercial production expanded, bringing Parmigiano also to Modena. The cooks of that time mentioned “Parmigiano” in several recipes of pasta dishes and sweets.
During the 1300s and 1400s, these monks had a monopoly on parmesan cheese and would export it to different regions of Italy. As the cheese became more popular, it spread to the rest of Europe.
In the Emilia region of the 15th century, feudal lords and abbeys contributed to the production increase of the Parma and Reggio plains that led to further economic development.
From the16th century onwards, it was marketed in the whole of Europe. Cheese “moulds” for making it arrived in Germany, France, and Flanders, where it is cited by the best chefs of the day.
For almost 1,000 years, it has been made exactly the same way. The ingredients were always the same: water, salt, milk and much patience during the aging process. But, the most important ingredients were the pastures of Emilia Romagna. The Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries, which spread over the plains between Parma and Reggio Emilia, favored the development of granges or farms for raising cows suitable for milk production.
The milk was from the morning and the previous evening. It took about 550 liters of milk to produce each wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.
The need to protect this unique product from other similar cheeses on the market was addressed as early as the 17th century, when the Duke of Parma, Ranuccio I Farnese, made the designation of origin official with a deed dated 7 August 1612, which defined where the cheese called “from Parma” should come from.
History of parmesan cheese processing
