00:00 This here is real Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano.
00:05 It can only be produced in one region of Italy.
00:07 If it's from anywhere else, it's fake.
00:10 You could say Parmesan is my second lover, after my wife.
00:15 Manual labor is essential.
00:18 So what makes Parmesan so special, and how is it produced?
00:26 Parmigiano Reggiano is only allowed to be produced in one area of northern Italy.
00:31 The dairy cows are only fed hay and grass.
00:35 Animal additives are prohibited according to the rules of the local Parmesan consortium.
00:41 The milk for Gaziano Pozzoli's cheese comes in part from this rare race of white cows from the Modena region.
00:53 The 71-year-old heads a cheese cooperative in the hills of the Apennine Mountains that produces organic Parmesan.
01:01 This area has boasted special conditions for a thousand years now.
01:10 Its climate, air and water, the whole environment.
01:14 That allows us to create a very natural cheese.
01:21 Only raw milk is allowed to be used.
01:23 It's gently heated in copper vats.
01:26 Then whey and rennet are added, an enzyme from calf stomachs that causes the milk to curdle.
01:31 Using a so-called cheese harp, the cheesemakers stir up the thickened milk, which shouldn't get too hot.
01:38 You have to pay attention to the tiniest details, that's the secret.
01:43 We feel how the milk curdles.
01:45 After it's heated up, it becomes compact.
01:49 It takes 15 liters of milk to make one kilo of cheese.
01:53 A linen sheet is used to lift the 80 kilo loaf out of the vat before it gets cut in two.
01:59 We call them twins because we obtained two wheels of Parmesan cheese here.
02:07 They're pressed into molds and receive the label from the Parmesan consortium.
02:16 Which regularly checks the quality of the cheese.
02:19 Only then can it receive the typical imprint showing that it's real Parmesan.
02:25 That's the identifying stamp that permanently proves the authenticity of the cheese.
02:31 Finally, the cheese goes into a salt bath to draw out the moisture.
02:37 They remain here in this brine for 20 days, but it takes 6 or 7 months to dry.
02:44 The salt has to reach the center of the cheese wheel.
02:47 The cheese wheels are stored in huge ripening rooms for at least 12 months.
02:56 They are regularly turned and brushed to ensure that they ripen perfectly.
03:02 Each individual wheel is checked for its quality by tapping it with a special hammer and listening.
03:10 This is how you can check to see if the cheese meets official requirements.
03:14 You can tap on it and hear if there are cavities or tears inside.
03:18 Only cheese wheels that pass the inspection receive the quality seal,
03:23 certifying them as true Parmigiano-Reggiano.
03:26 Otherwise, the cheese is sold as lower quality.
03:30 Over 4 million cheese wheels were produced here in 2022.
03:37 Almost half were destined for export.
03:40 But even though the cheese's designation is protected,
03:43 the market is flooded with fake Parmesan products.
03:46 It's estimated fake Parmesan vendors rake in 2 billion euros a year.
03:50 No cheese that is simply claimed to be Parmesan should bear this name.
03:57 Otherwise, you're deceiving the consumers.
04:04 Opening a wheel of Parmesan is a procedure that needs time and experience.
04:09 Graziano breaks it open with a number of special knives.
04:12 It's always really exciting to break open a new wheel.
04:17 I'm very excited to see how it is.
04:19 And thankfully, this one's excellent.
04:24 Then it gets broken up into pieces.
04:27 One kilo costs between 18 and 35 euros.
04:30 The older it is, the more expensive and aromatic.
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