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An over 27-year-old wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese was recently opened. Its value: 20,000 euros. Its taste: "Out of this world!"
Anyone who has bitten into a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano hard cheese will not soon forget the crunch between their teeth. This is especially true when a mere 10-gram piece of this special Parmesan is worth more than five euros. Such was the case with a 36 kg wheel produced in 1998 by Roman and Silvia Camorani in their cheese factory in Poviglio, a small town near Parma. At 27 years and three months old, this cheese surpassed the previous record for Parmesan cheese shelf life by six years, as even the British newspaper "The Guardian" reported. The wheel was recently opened.
"The aroma and taste were out of this world," said Roman Camorani, who no longer works as a cheese maker but lovingly cared for this wheel. About seven kilograms of the wheel were tasted at the cutting ceremony, with just a splash of balsamic vinegar. This event took place at Acetaia Razzoli, a family-run balsamic vinegar producer. A side note: This business is run by Giuliano Razzolli, the slalom champion of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Back to this unique cheese. Nicola Bertinelli, the president of the consortium, described the opening of Camorani's cheese wheel as "an exceptional moment." It demonstrates how this product maintains its amazing quality over time even without preservatives. Bertinelli: "It is a true natural gem."
The hard cheese Parmigiano Reggiano comes from the northern Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Mantua. It is made from cow's milk, salt, and animal rennet and usually ages for 12 to 36 months, occasionally longer. About 550 liters of silo-free milk from this region are used for a wheel, which typically weighs around 35 kg. It is a raw milk cheese, meaning the milk is not pasteurized and is processed within two hours of milking. Parmigiano Reggiano is divided into different categories, including traditional made from milk of cows of all breeds, Disolabruna made from Brown Swiss cow milk, and cheeses specific to the Reggio region and the mountain region.