This week I’m telling tales about Parmigiano Reggiano and a Japanese Italian fusion dinner I went to. But first a little background; when I went to Parma over 2 years ago on a press trip to learn about this celebrity of cheeses, I tasted and smelled and learned about the lifecycle of a Parmigiano wheel. Since that trip ive gone to collab dinners honoring this fine cheese as a spectacle. Recently I went to a Japanese X Italian fusion at Sake No Hana in Chinatown where pork wontons in a miso parmigiano broth, lobster dumplings with parmigiano reggiano cream, and wagyu tartar maki roll with parmigiano reggiano remoulade were the highlights. And, I mean little bites of overflowing flavor.

The meal began with different aged pieces of Parmigiano cheese alongside Japanese sweet potato nachos. From there it was mochi korokke, wontons, dumplings, maki, nigiri and crab dynamite dip with a giant parmigiano frico crisp. The final course consisted of vegetable salad the with 48 month aged parmiginao and wagyu steak with 60 month aged parmigiano, chimichurri and an heirloom tomato salad. Of course knowing myself I wanted the plate of dumplings and wontons for myself. It was dissapointing to stop at one.

This meal featured Parmigiano from ages 18, 24, 48, and 60 months. Parmigiano cheese is rich, and not the first cheese I’d reach for on a charcuterie board. I prefer it incorporated or finley shredded in heaps and bounds over a bowl of steaming pasta and soup. I like a younger 12 to 24 month aged parmigiano for its softer, fruiter and less complex profile.

Parmigiano Cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano is basically famous and most people know it exists. It hails from Parma, Italy a province within Emilia Romagna; AKA one of the best food regions in Italy. There are regulations in the region where it’s produced. Cows like popular Italian Frisona, Vacche Rosse, and Brown cow ware used for milk for this cheese, that roam on the land and graze on feed very specific to the PDO (protected designation of origin) guidelines set by the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium.

It’s Not Parm Afterall

You can call it what you want but parm, parmesan and parmigiano are not the same. Ahhh! I know it’s confusing. Parmesan cheese is any type of parmigiano- like cheese made anywhere outside of Parma. The ingredients, the way it’s created and processed are not the same.

Parmigiano Shopping Checklist

1. Does it have the dotted inscription that reads parmigiano reggiano?
2. Look for the sticker or label that says PDO (protected designation of origin)
3. You might notice a dairy ID number & month and year it’s been made

The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has a wonderful resource about their cheese here.