Grana Padano DOP (aged 24 months)

There is no other dairy classification that can use the term "grana". For these reasons the name of this Italian cheese should always be pronounced in full: Grana Padano. All stages of the production chain (breeding and milking of cows, collection and transformation of milk into cheese, maturing, possible grating) must necessarily take place in the area of origin.
It is produced in thirty-two provinces of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Alto Adige. LACTOSE FREE

GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGINS

Branzi (Bergamo), Lombardia - Italy.

INGREDIENTS

Milk (<1mg/100), salt, rennet.

HOW IT'S MADE

The milk used for the production of Grana Padano comes from cows milked twice a day. The processing phases begin with the partial decimation of raw milk and then with the addition of whey.
The milk is then heated to a temperature of around 30 ° to break the curd; then the cheese is wrapped in sheets and inserted into the mold that gives it its shape.
After 12 hours we move on to another mold that bears the typical brand of the grana and, the next day, the cheese is placed in the last mold with its characteristic rounded shape.
After the salting phase, which is carried out in a saline solution in which it remains immersed for a period of 14 to 30 days, the Grana Padano is dried and left to mature for nine months, at the end of which it is examined and "tested" with hammer, a special needle and probe.
If the test is positive, the brand is burned and therefore it can be marketed as a "young" cheese, but the aging can be continued to obtain the "old" or "very old" cheese.

AGING

From short to long.

PAIRINGS

Very welcome on all tables, it is perfect to be tasted alone, with bread or combined with sweet flavors such as honey or the sweet/spicy mustard.
Its strong flavor then makes it ideal for flavoring a multitude of dishes, from pasta to risotto to carpaccio, whether it be meat or fish.

STORAGE

In the fridge at 4°C / 8°C.

FORMAT

About 100 g, vacuum packed. When opening the vacuum bag, let it breathe for 10 minutes before consuming.