Clashes over the origins War has broken out over the origins of the king of Italian cheeses. The Financial Times opens the hostilities, true Parmigiano is made in the USA. At a time when Italian cuisine is applying to become Intangible Heritage of Humanity at Unesco, the American press takes aim at ParmigianoReggiano, carbonara pasta, panettone and tiramisu. The British newspaper takes its side and shares the opinions of Alberto Grandi, food historian and professor at the University of Parma, who has long been committed to questioning some of the “myths of Italian gastronomic tradition”. According to the Italian scholar, Parmigiano was born in Wisconsin. The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano replies strongly, as it reminds everyone that the first testimonies on the commercialization of Parmigiano Reggiano date back to 1200. The most famous literary testimony dates back to 1344; Giovanni Boccaccio in the Decameron describes the district of Bengodi and cites a mountain of “grated parmigiano” upon which “maccheroni and raviuoli” where rolled, thus giving an indication of its plausible use in the kitchen. The European Court of Justice with its verdict of 26/2/2008 judged that the term “Parmesan” is not generic, but that it evokes Parmigiano Reggiano; therefore, it constitutes an infringement of Community legislation on geographical indications, and it is amisleading practice towards the consumer. Good with chocolate Its versatility shows how it can be the protagonist of both sweet and savoury dishes. Luca Marchini, Michelin star chef of the L’erba del Re restaurant in Modena, created years ago a pre-dessert called “Scaglia di Parmigiano” (a Parmigiano shaving). It is composed of a white chocolate shell with a creamy centre made with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese aged 30 months, along with sour cherry preserves flavoured with the traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena. Another original pairing with chocolate was recently proposed by the Italian tv presenter Fabio Fazio, now co-owner of the historic chocolatiers Lavoratti 1938 in Varazze on occasion of the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin. It is a delicious praline that can be served as a starter, a pre-dessert or at the end of a meal. The praline made with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese aged 13 months has delicate tropical notes (banana and coconut); with the 18-month aged cheese, it obtains an excellent balance between the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the chocolate: with the 24-month aged cheese, there are more distinct characteristics whereas with the 36-month aged cheese it can be paired well with a liquor. 61
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