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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/02/wheel-of-italian-cheese-sets-record-oldest-parmesan-parmigiano-reggiano>
"A wheel of parmigiano reggiano has been celebrated as “an authentic jewel of
nature” after setting a longevity record for parmesan cheese.
The still-edible 36kg wheel was one of the last made in 1998 by Romano and
Silvia Camorani at their dairy in Poviglio, a small town near Parma in Italy’s
northern Emilia-Romagna region.
The parmesan, estimated to be worth more than €20,000 (£17,000), was finally
opened and sampled on Sunday at the age of 27 years and three months, beating
the previous record of 21 years.
“The aroma and taste were out of this world,” said Romano Camorani, adding that
he still “lovingly” looked after the wheel as it aged, despite no longer making
cheese.
Parmigiano reggiano has the EU’s protected designation of origin status,
meaning it can only be produced in the Italian provinces of Reggio Emilia,
Parma and Modena, as well as parts of Mantua and Bologna.
Made with cow’s milk, salt and animal rennet, the cheese ordinarily takes 12 to
36 months to mature, with extended ageing occurring only in exceptional cases.
The larger a parmesan wheel is, the more chance it has of ageing for longer.
The cheese must contain the right amount of fat, protein and salt in order to
endure over time. The longer the parmesan matures, the more intense its
flavour.
It is up to the cheesemaker to decide how long they want the maturation process
to last and when to open it. The long-aged parmesan is then tasted by a panel
from the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium and only considered authentic if judged
to be edible and up to standard, which Camorani’s record-breaking wheel was.
Nicola Bertinelli, president of the consortium, said the opening of Camorani’s
wheel was “an extraordinary moment”.
“It demonstrates how this product can remain amazing over time without the use
of preservatives,” he said. “It’s an authentic jewel of nature.”
About 7kg of Camorani’s cheese was eaten alongside drizzles of balsamic vinegar
during the cutting ceremony at Acetaia Razzoli, a family-run balsamic vinegar
producer founded by Giuliano Razzoli, an Olympic ski champion."
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
