Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a culture devoted to food, Italians consider Emilia-Romagna their most advanced culinary region, blessed by an edible providence even Tuscany cannot match. Perhaps the best illustration is Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is at once the most accessible yet sophisticated cheese on the planet.

There’s a kharma to food in Emilia. Cows grazing on the lush, fertile plain yield perhaps the world’s best milk, which becomes the crucial ingredient in Parmigiano. Then, leftover whey from cheese production is recycled back as fodder for local pigs, which eventually become prosciutto di Parma.

Inferior U.S. versions of “Parmesan” are often bright white; the real stuff is more ivory or pale yellow, growing darker as it ages. The cheese is ripened anywhere from 14 months to four years. It peaks somewhere between two and three years, achieving the proper balance between the vibrant, milky flavors of youth, and textured, mature complexity.

Parmigiano is granular and crumbly, but also buttery and rich, never dry. It’s the ultimate cooking cheese, blending into all manner of soups, stews, and sauces. It’s the preferred condiment atop all pasta, except possibly those containing fish.

One little trick to expose the depth of Parmigiano: Place a chunk of it on the front part of your tongue. Draw a long breath, with your lips just open and cheeks sucked in. Then, expel the air through your nose. A florid, sweet aroma should envelope you. You’ll want to gulp down the piece melting in your mouth, and probably reach for another.