Originating from the Parma region of Italy, this is one of the world’s most popular cheeses, stamped with the official Parmigiano Reggiano mark as a guarantee of origin. Fragrant and tangy, it has a hard, grainy texture and a buttery yellow colour. Once tasted, it’s hard to resist the delicious piquant taste and crumbly texture of parmesan. There are countless ways to savour the flavour. Parmesan, or Parmigiano-Reggiano to give it its proper name, is one of those magical flavour-enhancing ingredients. A few curls of finely shaved parmesan, for example, make a pear and fennel salad taste irresistible, just as a chunk of parmesan rind transforms a slow-simmered minestrone into a gorgeous savoury meal. The secret of parmesan’s intense flavour lies in the fact that it’s made with fragrant unpasteurised milk and that the cheese is carefully matured over a long period. The cheeses are matured for between 18 and 48 months, depending on the kind of cheese and the producer. The result is a hard, honey-coloured cheese with a crumbly, almost crystalline texture.

Credits: BBC Food, Serious Eats