User:Bshy01/Grana Padano

From article Grana Padano (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɡraːna paˈdaːno]) is a hard, slow-ripened, semi-fat, cow's-milk cheese from Italy, comparable to Parmigiano Reggiano ("Parmesan"). Grana Padano has had protected designation of origin status since 1996.[1] It is made from cows' milk produced in Padania.[2]

Revised Grana Padano is a cheese originated from Po River Valley in northern Italy that has similar characteristics as Parmigiano Reggiano or known as Parmesan cheese, but with less regulations. This hard, crumbly textured cheese is made with unpasturized cow milk that's semi skimmed through a natural creaming process. To preserve the authenticity of the manufacturing processes and raw materials used to make this cheese, the European Union law has protected the name Grana Padano under the protected designation of origin in year 1996 (PDO).

'From article' Grana Padano is one of the world's first hard cheeses, created nearly 900 years ago by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle Abbey, founded in 1135 near Milan[1] By the year 1477, it was regarded as one of the most famous cheeses of Italy.[according to whom?] It can last a long time without spoiling, sometimes aging up to two years. It is made in a similar way to the Parmigiano Reggiano of Emilia-Romagna but over a much wider area and with different regulations and controls.[1]

Revised Grana Padano was developed by monks of Chiaravalle Abbey in the 12th century.

From article - Production process Like Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese which is cooked and ripened slowly for at least nine months. If it passes quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark. The cows are milked twice a day, the milk is left to stand, and then partially skimmed.[4] Milk produced in the evening is skimmed to remove the surface layer of cream and mixed with fresh milk produced in the morning. The partly skimmed milk is transferred into copper kettles and coagulated; the resulting curd is cut to produce granules with the size of rice grains, which gives the cheese its characteristic texture, and then warmed to 53–56 °C (127–133 °F). It is produced year-round and the quality can vary seasonally as well as by year. Though similar to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the younger Grana Padano cheeses are less crumbly, milder and less complex in flavor than their better known, longer-aged relative.[1]

Revised Grana Padano is a made with only semi skimmed milk whereas Parmigian Reggiano is made with partially skimmed and whole milk. Each batch is from a single days milking and skimmed through natural creaming after 6-8 hours then transferred to copper vats that look like inverted bells. Heat will introduced along with natural whey cultures that's saved from the previous day's process and calf rennet which is needed for coagulation. The coagulation of cheese curds will form and be cut into small granules. The granules will be heated to 127-129°F (53-54°C) for 10-12 minutes and then transferred to molds and brine-salted for about 25 days and then rippened for 9-16 months.

Industry
There are about 150 factories that make Grana Padano in the region of Po River Valley and an estimate of 4.5 million cheese are manufactured. According to the protected designation of origin (PDO) Grana Padano is the most produced cheese under this designation.

Specifications A wheel of Grana Padano is cylindrical, with slightly convex or almost straight sides and flat faces. It measures 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in) in diameter, and 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) in height. It weighs 24 to 40 kg (53 to 88 lbs) per wheel. The rind, which is thin, is pale yellow.[1]

Grana Padano is found in three different ripening stages:[6]

"Grana Padano" (9 to 16 months): texture still creamy, only slightly grainy "Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi" (over 16 months): crumblier texture, more pronounced taste "Grana Padano Reserve" (over 20 months): grainy, crumbly and full flavored

After nine month of aging, each wheel gets checked and, if considered of adequate quality, gets fire-branded with the Grana Padano logo Grana padano cheese typically contains cheese crystals, semi-solid to gritty crystalline spots that at least partially consist of the amino acid tyrosine.

Controversy In May, 2016, the Grana Padano consortium filed a legal action against the producers of the U.S. television soap opera series The Bold and the Beautiful for a scene wherein it was claimed the product was disparaged.[5]