Parmesan cheese, also known as Parmigiano Reggiano, comes from medieval times in Parma-Reggio, Italy. Legends say that monks first made this cheese around 900 years ago. The monks needed to preserve lots of milk for a long time. So they came up with a way to turn the milk into hard cheese.
We have records of Parmigiano-Reggiano dating back to 1254. During that time, Benedictine monks created the cheese. Furthermore, the monks had full control over making Parmesan cheese in the 1300s and 1400s. They had a monopoly on it. A monopoly means they were the only ones allowed to make and sell it. The monks would then ship the cheese to different areas of Italy.
Nutrition
Parmesan cheese comes from the milk of cows. It is a hard cheese that is aged for at least one year. It provides several important nutrients.
Firstly, it contains a lot of protein. Each portion has 32 grams of protein. In addition, it is high in calcium. Just one serving gives you 26% of the daily calcium needs.
Furthermore, it is also high in fat. Each 100 grams contains 29.7 grams of fat, with 19.6 grams being saturated fat. At the same time, it is low in carbohydrates with only 3.2 grams per 100 grams.
Also, Parmesan is lactose-free, which means people with lactose intolerance can eat it.
How To Select Parmesan Cheese
There are a few different options when buying Parmesan cheese. Firstly, it comes already shredded or grated, which is convenient for sprinkling on foods like soup.