There has never been a better assortment of cheeses than there are today, with an explosion of high-quality artisanal cheesemakers and craft dairies springing up around the world. This makes it even more impressive that most people in the cheese industry look up to one particular variety as the pinnacle of success – hence its nickname, “The King of Cheeses.”
The crown in question belongs to Parmigiano-Reggiano, a delicacy which for eight centuries has been made almost exactly the same way, under extremely strict standards, using only the milk of cows raised under equally strict standards. These predate the famous Bavarian Beer Purity rules, often called the world’s first food purity law, as well as the rules for making Champagne. This makes sense, because in one important way Parmigiano-Reggiano varies greatly from most other geographically defined and tightly regulated artisanal foodstuffs – its quality and taste are far more consistent.
Because of the very unique manner in which it is made and the equally unique manner in which it is regulated, the entire Parmigiano-Reggiano paradigm is built around the ideal of perfection in every single wheel. Like Champagne, the concept of terroir, or a locally derived taste from a specific area due to its unique soil and climate characteristics, is very important to the cheese, which is why it can only be made in one particular place. However, unlike Champagne there are no specific “vineyards,” some better than others. One cheesemaker’s raw material, the milk of Parma and Reggio, is nearly identical to the next.
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