With its 800-year history, Parmigiano Reggiano is unequivocally considered the king of cheeses! It is rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and is lactose free.

Proteins are the essential component of the product and have a high biological value, because they contain essential amino acids which are easily assimilated in branched form. Furthermore, thanks to the enzymes it contains, Parmesan is highly digestible.

Fats are mainly made up of medium and short chain fatty acids, absorbed directly by the body and sent to the liver and muscles for their immediate use. Thanks to this process, the Parmesan is much suitable for sportsmen.

'Sabsence of lactose it is recommended for diabetics, lactose intolerant subjects and indicated in the diet of subjects with some gastrointestinal pathologies.

Among the constituents of Parmigiano Reggiano there would be some, under study, which would make it a functional food, i.e. capable of producing beneficial effects on health and consumer welfare.

In particular:
– peptides in proteins;
– polysaccharides with prebiotic function, i.e. indigestible short-chain carbohydrates with the ability to stimulate the growth of one or more bacteria in the colon that exert beneficial effects on health;
– linoleic acid conjugates for which the following hypotheses have been hypothesized: anticancer, antiatherogenic, antiobesity, antidiabetogen, antiplatelet, regulating the allergenic response, stimulation of bone mineralization and immune response;
- probiotics, with activity, in some pathological situations such as enteritis and atopic dermatitis.

Parmigiano Reggiano is therefore a genuine food, rich in history and tradition, which should be included in a varied and balanced diet for people of all ages.

Le Vitamins they are a heterogeneous and complex set of non-energetic chemical substances necessary for the body's needs; they must be introduced from the outside as they cannot be synthesized by the body.

Vitamin content (in µg) of 100 g of fresh (6-12 months) and aged (22-24 months) Parmigiano Reggiano:

*Average values ​​of 10 samples
**Average values ​​of 60 samples

The high percentage of calcium (1.160 mg per 100 grams) make it a suitable food for growing children, the elderly and everyone in general.

Below is the table with the recommended levels by age group:

Many people believe that Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are the same thing. Indeed, the production technology is very similar but there are many other differences: for example in the seasoning and in cow feed.

Furthermore, Parmigiano Reggiano is born exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua. In the territories enclosed between the Reno and the Po rivers, the cows are fed only with fodder produced in the area.

The main differences:

The Brown Alpine Cow appears in the Parma area around 1870, but begins to spread more from 1892 thanks to Antonio Bizzozzero, founder of the itinerant chair of agriculture in Parma. After having become aware of the agricultural situation in our province, Bizzozzero is committed to teaching techniques and notions to give farmers the possibility of carrying out their work in the best possible way. With regard to cattle breeding, he tries to communicate how the triple aptitude (meat, milk, work) cannot give an income, which instead can be obtained with animals with marked milk-producing or meat-producing aptitudes. Thus began an intense work of crossbreeding to replace the indigenous cattle with bulls of the Bruna Alpina breed. There are currently around 750.000 brown cows in Italy, distributed in various areas. They are animals that adapt very well to different climates and are chosen by those who want to have higher quality milk: on average they produce less than Friesian, but the cheese yield is significantly higher.

Genetically, the brown breed has the B variant of k-casein as a dowry, which has these characteristics: – a better incorporation of fat and protein into the cheese; – a more elastic clot; – shorter coagulation and firming times; – less structured and more consistent curd; – higher percentage of calcium and phosphorus. Bruna's milk allows you to obtain a tasty but delicate Parmigiano Reggiano. It has the typical straw colour, derived from a diet mainly of hay, with a taste and texture that melts in the mouth after 24 months and releases a sensation of incredible completeness.