The Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the most antique cheese and it is still produced today substantially as it was eight centuries ago: the same ingredients, same production techniques and the same artisan care.
It is a totally natural cheese, the only one able to support a long aging process.
For this reason, in 1996 the Parmigiano-Reggiano received the Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P.- Denominazione d' Origine Protetta) european award.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is "mature" when it has reached an aging of between 12 and 18 months; "old" starting from an age of 18 till 24 months; "very aged" when it has passed at least two summers (from 24 to 36 months).

One of the characteristics of Parmigiano-Reggiano is a “straw” colored paste, which indicates that it comes from milk produced by animals nourished by fresh forage.
Another typical characteristic of Parmigiano-Reggiano is the “flaky” structure; the paste therefore, in the mature product, comes off in subtle flakes in keeping with an arrangement of converging rays toward the form’s center.

What does it means D.O.P.?
The italian acronym D.O.P is the Protected Designation of Origin that garantees that all the production phases are carried out on a specific geografic area and follows the traditional method.