Grana Padano Cheese

Grana padano is a close relative of parmesan. The only difference between them lies in the properties of the grass that cows eat in different parts of Italy. It is this variety of cheese from Piedmont and Lombardy that is considered the most popular in the country. The product belongs to the category of grater cheeses with a granular structure. Cheese is made from cow’s milk.

What you need to know about grana padano, what are its nutritional properties and how safe is it to implement the Italian diet in everyday life?

Historical information

The recipe for making Grana Padano has remained virtually unchanged since ancient times. According to legend, it was first prepared by Benedictine monks. They lived in a monastery in northern Italy in the XNUMXth century. The creation of Grana Padano is a matter of chance. The monks simply tried to save the rest of the milk until the next meal, but they created a product that is unique in taste and structure. Cheese quickly gained popularity and love not only among the monks, but among the common people, and later aristocrats. By the XNUMXth century, Grana Padano had become one of the most popular Italian cheeses. It was prepared and sold in every corner of Italy, adding individual notes with special spices, seasonings or the way it was served.

Important: even after millennia, the cheese recipe remains unchanged. The only difference is that the cooking process has become as automated, fast and ergonomic as possible.

In 1954, the monopoly association Consorzio per la Tutela Del Formaggio Grana Padano was created. It brought together hundreds of manufacturers of this particular type of cheese. The main task of the association is to control the quality and proper sale of grana padano not only in Italy, but also in the world. Already in 1955, the Consorzio per la Tutela Del Formaggio Grana Padano registered its own trademark “Grana Padano” in several European countries.

Brief etymological reference

The original name was formed from two characteristics – the geographical area and the appearance of the product. The word “grana” is translated from Italian as “grainy”. Later, this term was applied to all hard dry grater cheeses. Italians add them everywhere: in soups, pasta, pizza and snacks. The word “padano” indicates a geographical location – a cheese that is made in the Po River basin. Initially, Grana Padano was made there, later Lombardy, Piedmont and a number of provinces of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige became the main centers of production.

How to prepare the product

The traditional maturation process of Grana Padano takes at least 1 year. Particularly valuable varieties are stored for 6-8 years. Huge cylindrical heads of cheese are sent to the market. Their diameter is from 35 to 45 centimeters, and their height is from 18 to 25 centimeters. The weight of one such bar can vary from 24 to 40 kilograms. Each cheese head is covered with a thick natural golden crust. The cheese is dense, breaks when cut, has a scaly-like granular structure of a pleasant yellowish-straw hue.

Fact: to make 1 a kilogram of grana padano you need 17 liters of partially skimmed cow’s milk.

The basis of cheese is milk of animal origin. Cows are fattened with fresh feed, grass or mixtures based on vegetables and grains. Association Consorzio per la Tutela Del Formaggio Grana Padano clearly controls all stages of cheese production. Even the fattening of livestock must take place according to certain rules in order to preserve the authentic taste and quality of the finished product.

Partially skimmed cow’s milk is used during production to achieve the desired structure. Cheese mixes are prepared in huge copper boilers. In order for the milk fluid to coagulate, add natural serum or rennet of animal origin (they are extracted from the internal organs of cows).

After curdling, the milk turns into a dense granular mass. Milk particles are identical in size to rice grains. The finished mass is boiled to a homogeneous consistency, then placed in a special cloth and sent for salting. Before salting, the mass is given the necessary shape – a circle / oval / cylinder. Salting cheese in a natural solution lasts from 14 to 30 days. Then the product is sent to special facilities for maturation. In the premises, the necessary indicators of temperature and humidity are set so that the cheese does not deteriorate, and many days of hard work is not in vain. During maturation, the cheese molds are periodically cleaned and turned over.

There are 3 varieties of grana padano, which are determined by the time of ripening:

• young “Grana Padano” – kept from 9 to 16 months;
• medium-aged cheeses “Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi” – matures from 16 to 20 months;
• aged “Grana Padano Riserva” – matures for more than 20 months.

Use component in cooking

Grana Padano is characterized by a slightly salty, spicy taste with a noticeable nutty aftertaste. Most often, cheese is served as an independent dish, namely, snacks. It is believed that the product goes well with vermouth and red wines. Especially successful is the combination of aged red wines like Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo or Barbaresco.

Cheese is added to salads, rubbed in sauces, first and second courses. Like all varieties of cheese from the class “grana” it is, first of all, tertiary cheese. Italians buy a small bar and rub it directly into the pan or pan during cooking. Another feature of the product is the structure. Grana padano is not cut, but chopped with a special triangular knife, so as not to destroy the integrity of the bar.

What to combine cheese?

How to choose and store the product?

The production of cheese is controlled by the Consorzio per la Tutela Del Formaggio Grana Padano, so an obvious indicator of quality is the sign and name of this organization. Each block of cheese must be marked, information about the timing of the sale and the manufacturer. If you buy cheese at the market or local points of sale, ask the seller for documents and a quality certificate.

Regarding the appearance of the product, general rules apply, not specific recommendations. Cheese should exude a pleasant nutty flavor, break into large grained bars and look beautiful (dense golden crust and creamy yellow slice). The product must not contain mucus, rot, mold or damage.

Grana padano can preserve its nutritional and taste qualities for a long time if you strictly follow the rules of storage. Wrap the cheese in a damp, natural cloth and place in the lower section of the refrigerator. Keep the cloth moist so as not to spoil the structure of the cheese and prevent it from drying out.

Important: in no case do not wrap grana padano in a plastic bag. In this case, he will not be able to “breathe” and will quickly become callous.

Another option for storing cheese is craft or parchment. Parchment paper allows enough air to pass through and protects the product from drying out. In order not to spoil the pleasant nutty aroma of Grana Padano, keep it away from other cheeses and products from the refrigerator. It is best to send the cheese roll in a tightly closed container.

Is it safe to eat hard granular cheese?

continue….

Grana padano, like any other cheese, can harm the human body. Why? The main component of the product is milk of animal origin. Scientists have proven that an adult does not need animal milk. On the contrary, we stop digesting lactose and suffer from abdominal pain, acne, allergy symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and worsening after a glass of milk.

Together with milk, cheese takes over all the harmful hormones and antibiotics that animals feed on farms to get the maximum amount of milk and profits. This chemical cocktail gets inside the person and provokes the development of diseases, internal inflammations, destabilization of the hormonal background.

Important. An excellent substitute for animal milk is vegetable milk. For example, soy, almond, coconut or oatmeal. If you wish, you can find plant-based cheese in vegan shops or certified online stores. Such a product is much safer and healthier, but be sure to check the composition before buying.

Grana padano is soaked in saline for at least 2 weeks, so the concentration of edible sodium in the product goes off scale. Salt is necessary to neutralize harmful microflora and bacteria, but manufacturers use much more white powder than necessary. What is this fraught with? The development of addiction, edema, eating disorders, metabolic disorders.

How is cheese addiction formed? Consumption of this dairy product is ten times higher than the same indicator of 40-year-old. Again, all the harmful ingredients found in cheese go through cow’s milk. In the internal organs of the animal, a specific enzyme is formed, whose action is very similar to the narcotic. It misleads nerve cells and the stomach, forcing us to absorb the entire grana padano bar, rather than a few pieces, as originally planned.

We are used to eating cheese not only as an independent dish, but also to add it to salads, sprinkle soups, sandwiches, meat, pasta and cereals. The result is that cheese accompanies almost every meal as a condiment. We absorb kilograms of salt, harmful hormones, antibiotics, dangerous animal enzymes, but do not associate this with a sharp loss of efficiency, headaches or reduced immunity. Try an experiment: significantly reduce your consumption or completely give up cheese and monitor your condition. We guarantee that you will feel light (subject to a well-balanced diet).

Do have to permanently abandon the grana padano? No, you just need to regulate its consumption. Limit yourself to a few small pieces of cheese in the dishes, but do not add it to every food intake. Learn how to make cheese-free sauces or purchase organic mixes for salad dressings in a supermarket. They will help to reveal a completely new side of familiar dishes and make them much healthier.

Another option is to start buying lactose-free cheeses or sheep/goat milk based products. They are much safer than cow and most of the unpleasant symptoms can be leveled. Learn to manage your own eating habits and be healthy!