Differences with Grana Padano Another Italian delicacy is definitely Grana Padano, which however differs from Parmigiano Reggiano. Here are the five main differences. • Production areas The production area of Parmigiano Reggiano is smaller. It includes the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma and Bologna to the left of the Reno River and Mantova to the right of the Po River. Grana Padano can be produced in dairy farms in thirty-three provinces located in the Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Trentino Alto Adige regions (in Trentino Alto Adige, it is limited to the province Trento and to some municipalities in the province of Bolzano). • Production For Parmigiano Reggiano the forage for the dairy cows can only be straw and grass (alfalfa and wild fields), without the use of silage or fermented feeds. For Grana Padano silage can be used. • Aging process For Parmigiano Reggiano, the minimum aging period is 12 months and can go beyond 30 months. Consumption is on average around 24 months. For Grana Padano, the cheese is branded at 9 months and average consumption is at 15 months. • Starter In the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factories, a natural starter whey is used exclusively as the bacterial starter to strengthen the microbiological process. For Grana Padano, within the limit of 12 times a year, lactic acid bacteria can be used if isolated in a laboratory originating from a natural starter whey from cheese factories. • Quality control For Parmigiano Reggiano, the selection by the Consortium during the quality inspection after 12 months of aging is performed on all the wheels, whereas for Grana Padano, the selection at 9 months occurs only on a portion of the wheels. mosis, then they are left to age. The aging process, on long wooden tables, can last 12, 24, 30 or 36 months, going all the way up to 40 months. To ensure that everything progresses correctly, at the end of the first year, by tapping with a hammer, the cheesemaker checks the resting process of the cheese. It is a process known as quality inspection and if the test is passed, then there is a second branding. 60 FOCUS
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