Grana Padano cheese Pdo

Produced in the Po river valley since the XII century, Grana Padano PDO derives its name from the granular yet compact texture (‘a grana’), and ever since the Middle Ages it has delighted the palate of gourmets around the world with its rich golden yellow colour and its warm, complex, fruity aroma. Grana Padano PDO hails from a limited geographical zone encompassing 32 provinces across 5 regions of North Italy (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto-Adige and Emilia-Romagna).

It is made with 100% cow milk from two daily milkings, partially skimmed through the natural rising of the cream in thermo-regulated inox tanks. The milk is pumped into traditional double-bottom copper cauldrons, where only two wheels (35 Kg/each) are obtained from no less than 1.200 liters of milk. The milk is heated up to 31-33° C degrees and inoculated with calf’s rennet to kick start the coagulation. The curd is broken and cooked at 53-56° C and constantly stirred. When the curd grains bind together and settle at the bottom of the cauldron, the cheesemaker start harvesting the soft paste using a large-size cheesecloth, and press it into the characteristic wheel-shaped moulds. Two days after the cheese is produced, the whole wheels are dipped into a solution of water and sea salt. The salting phase last between two and three weeks, depending on the type of brine and the size / weight of the wheels.