In the municipalities that once belonged to the mountain communities, there are 82 dairies authorized to produce the King of cheeses with the distinctive quality mark “Mountain Product.”
Considering that the production area of Parmigiano Reggiano includes the provinces from Bologna on the left of the Reno River, to Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, and Mantua on the right of the Po, the area where the Mountain Product is made is restricted to a limited mountainous region of the Apennines of Emilia. It is here that the conditions are met to produce it: Mountain Forage, Mountain Breeding, Mountain Dairies, Mountain Aging.
These four elements provide a product of superior quality compared to other production areas. This becomes evident through a sensory analysis, even for non-experts, as Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the very few food products that engage all five senses. It is enough to recall the scent of mountain herbs when breaking off a wedge, observe the more or less pronounced granularity, feel the softness between your fingers, perceive the rich sweetness from the unique forage, and listen to the crackling under your teeth of the tyrosine crystals that make it flavorful.
All this comes from a production and aging process that lasts at least 24 months, after which the Parmigiano Reggiano Mountain Product is appreciated for what it truly is: the King of Cheeses.
