The internet is an amazing tool. Through my LinkedIn account, I received an offer to taste Parmigiano Reggiano made by Bonat. The wedges they sent me (each weighing about one pound) were aged 26-28, 36 and 48 months. I shared the wedges with the chef and Culinary Arts classmates at North Georgia Technical College. (Imagine my surprise to find a Culinary Arts program only 10 miles from home…)
A little about Bonat: Georgio Bonati and and his son, Gianluca, fourth generation farmers, milk about 100 cows in the countryside of Parma, in Northern Italy. The milk their own cows and make their cheese in the traditional way as designated by the DOP guidelines. The Consortium, governs and oversees the production that protects the “King of Cheeses”.
The Bonatis grow their own hay, milk their cows and make the cheese at their farm which allows them more control over the quality of the final product. Their cows primarily eat centennial meadows hay which brings a particular richness to the milk and gives the cheese unique flavors. The cows’ diet is supplemented with cereals, maize, barley and soybeans.
When their wheels reach two years of aging, The Consortium grades them and decides which wheels should be marked EXTRA and continue aging. Bonat has wheels that have been aged as long as 10 years. This aging has paid dividends with many awards. The Guide “Cheese of Italy” by Gambero Rosso awarded the “The Three Slices of Cheese” to Bonat’s 3 year Parm and the prize of “Star Player” to their 7 year. They have also won many gold medals in numerous international competitions. In 2012, the Bonatis were named “Top Farmer”.
Georgio and Gianluca welcome visitors to their farm for tours. So the next time you find yourself in Parma, call them and set up a time to visit.
A few of the regulations for making Parmigiano Reggiano include:
- The two daily milkings shall not exceed four hours.
- The milk must be delivered to the dairy within two hours of each milking.
- The milk from the evening milking is partially skimmed by natural surface skimming. The milk from the morning milking is mixed with the previous evening milk. The morning milk may be skimmed but is not required.
- Fermented whey which is a natural culture of lactic ferments is added to the milk. The fermented whey is from the previous day’s milk.
- Calf rennet is exclusively used to coagulate the milk.
- The milk must not be heated prior to coagulation.
- The thickness of the rind should be around 6mm.
- The fat content in the dry matter must be a minimum of 32%.
A complete list of guidelines and regulations can be found on The Consortium’s website.
At NGTC, the Chefs who head the department, Alex and Chris Bladowski, along with two classmates and two other administrators (one who makes cheese curds through a government grant) at the college joined me in a vertical tasting of the three wedges from Bonat.
On first look at the three wedges side-by-side, it was easy to spot the age, simply by examining the crystallization which became more pronounced and abundant with age. This article in Culture Magazine explains in more detail what these crystals are and what causes them. Basically, they are a combination of tyrosine and calcium lactate as a result of proteolysis. Chris also mentioned the presence of glutamate in Parmigiano Reggiano and that of course, sent me down another cheese rabbit hole. Parmigiano Reggiano is high in free glutamate, an amino acid found in most foods that contain proteins. Glutamate enhances the savory taste in food, also known as umami.
The first wedge we tried was the 26-28 month. This is the aged parmigiano reggiano we generally find in specialty cheese shops here in the US. When I opened the cryo-vac, the aroma of the freshness of the parm filled the air and reminded me of the days with Murray’s when we would crack open a wheel of parm. The aroma is intoxicating. The texture is crumbly with a slight oiliness. The taste is nutty and savory with a hint of fruitiness. A perfect cheese for shaving on parm or prosciutto, which is also produced in the same region of Italy. Some of the whey from the production of this cheese is fed to the pigs that produce prosciutto, another protected food of Italy.
Up next for tasting was the 36 month wedge with more pronounced crystallization and more savory to the palate. A little drier, but not enough that you would notice unless you had just taster the younger version. I caught a whiff of pineapple in this wedge. Again like its younger version perfect to shave or pasta or enjoy with a few slices of cured meats.
We saved the best for last; the 48 month wedge. WOW!!! The flavor in the crystals exploded as it hit our palates; truly a sublime cheese to sit on your table and enjoy with friends and a glass of Chianti. I mu
st admit that this wedge had me nibbling away and enjoying every morsel, knowing that this is now my “go-to” Parmigiano Reggiano when I want to nibble and sit and reflect on my day.
I thank Georgio for sharing his lovely cheeses with me and hope to take him up on his offer of visiting his farm the next time I am in Italy.
The 2018 Cheese Study Group is off and running again this year raising funds to send cheese professionals to Pittsburgh to sit for the ACS CCP exam and attend the ACS Conference. Details are available here and you can donate here. These scholarships assist worthy cheesemongers network and learn from others in our cheese community.
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