What is Grana Padano?
Grana Padano is an aged Italian hard cheese that originates from the Po River Valley in northern Italy. It has a flaked, grainy texture, which is why it’s classified as a ‘grana’-style cheese – ‘grana’ being ‘grainy’ in Italian. Flavour-wise, Grana Padano has a nutty profile with a subtle saltiness that’s more gentle on the palate than its close counterpart, Parmigiano Reggiano.
Grana Padano is made from unpasteurised skimmed cows milk, which gives the cheese a lower fat content. This means it matures quite quickly and only has to be aged for nine months before it can be sold. You can however also find Grana Padano in 16-month and 20-month vintages that have had longer to develop their flavours.
How is it made?
We have a band of ingenious Italian monks to thank for the cheese we now know as Grana Padano. It was way back in the 12th century when the Cistercian monks of the Chiaravalle Abbey, not too far from Milan, had their brainwave. The monks ran a productive dairy farm and developed the recipe for a cheese that they could age as a way of preserving surplus milk.
Although more modern equipment is used today, the process and recipe has barely changed:
- First, the fresh skimmed milk is poured into traditional copper cauldrons and mixed with whey and rennet to produce curd.
- Then, the curd is broken up with a giant whisk (spino) before being heated, rested and shaped into wheels in a special mould called a fascera.
- Salting follows, with the wheels spending at least two weeks soaking in brine.
- Once that’s done, the wheels are dried and begin the all-important ageing process.
- Finally, experts inspect the aged wheels for texture, flavour and aroma, before releasing the golden rounds of Grana Padano to the world.
Nowadays, Grana Padano has Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO). This means that it can only be made in certain areas of northern Italy, and following this traditional method.
What does it pair with?
Grana Padano can be served on its own as an antipasti or as part of a cheeseboard, and marries up harmoniously with sweet accents like dates, figs or a drizzle of honey. It also pairs well with a host of wine styles, depending on how long it’s been aged for:
- Aged for 9-16 months: With a sweet, nutty aroma, young Grana Padano goes best with lighter wines. A glass of chilled Prosecco or a pale rosé is a great place to start.
- Aged for more than 16 months: With extra ageing come notes of butter and hay, which match well with less tannic red wines like a young Chianti or Bardolino.
- Aged for 20 months (Riserva): Mature and well-rounded, this vintage calls for a red wine with real depth. Amarone della Valpolicella would hit the spot, as would a Sicilian Nero d’Avola.
Cooking with Grana Padano
As an ingredient, Grana Padano is a versatile cheese. Like its cousin, Parmigiano Reggiano, it’s well-suited to grating over pasta or risotto – but you can also add shavings to more delicate dishes like a fig and prosciutto salad. Don’t forget the rind either. Whilst it’s not great to eat on its own, adding a spent rind of Grana Padano to a simmering pot of soup will add a heft of umami – just remember to remove the rind before you serve your soup!
Is it vegetarian?
Asanimal rennet is used in the production process – which is strictly protected because of the cheese’s PDO status – Grana Padano isn’t suitable for vegetarians. The same process does have its benefits though. Despite being made nearly entirely from milk, the way that Grana Padano is made and aged means the cheese is naturally lactose-free.
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FAQs
Grana Padano DOP is a hard, part-skim cheese. It originated in the Po Valley and is produced in Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino/Alto Adige, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. This cheese is made only from cow's milk and requires long aging (at least 9 months).
What makes Grana Padano special? ›
Flavour-wise, Grana Padano has a nutty profile with a subtle saltiness that's more gentle on the palate than its close counterpart, Parmigiano Reggiano. Grana Padano is made from unpasteurised skimmed cows milk, which gives the cheese a lower fat content.
What are some fun facts about Grana Padano? ›
Grana Padano's origins can be traced back to 1135, and the ingenuity of the Benedictine monks in the Chiaravalle Abbey, south of Milan, who developed its recipe to conserve excess milk stocks for long periods. Appearance: the two cheeses are practically identical in shape, size and weight.
What is the difference between Parmesan and Grana Padano? ›
Parmigiano-Reggiano takes a minimum of 12 months to mature and has a stronger, more complex, nuttier and saltier taste than Grana Padano. For this reason Grana Padano is more usually used in cooking, while Parmigiano-Reggiano is more often grated on top of a dish.
What is the best way to eat Grana Padano? ›
Partly thanks to the differing ages available, Grana Padano is perfect for unleashing your creativity, imagination and passion in the kitchen. Serve it grated or as an unmistakable addition to starters, but also in chunks, flakes and in so many other ways.
Should you refrigerate Grana Padano cheese? ›
Grana Padano should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator, where the temperature is usually around 8° C. Grana Padano should not be stored next to other cheeses with a different flavour and aroma, as this could affect its organoleptic qualities.
How healthy is Grana Padano? ›
Grana Padano PDO is a rich source of vitamin B12, which contributes to the normal function of the nervous system and to reduce tiredness and fatigue: 50 g covers more than 75% of an adult's daily needs. It also contains vitamins A and B2, excellent for healthy teeth and bones.
Why is Grana Padano cheaper? ›
Because there are more areas that produce Grana Padano, it's cheaper, which is why it's often thought of as Parmigiano-Reggiano's knock-off.
Is Grana Padano more expensive? ›
While Parmigiano-Reggiano enjoys a greater level of importance in the minds of consumers, Grana Padano is actually the best-selling PDO cheese in the world, with over five million wheels produced yearly. It is often less expensive than Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is an important consideration for a discerning chef.
Is Grana Padano cheese hard or soft? ›
Grana Padano is a hard cheese with a grainy texture and it is aged for at least 12 months. It has a sharp flavor that becomes more mellow over time. Parmigiano Reggiano, on the other hand, is dry, hard cheese made with skimmed or partially skimmed cow milk and it has a sharp and complex flavor.
Grana Padano aged
Still sweet in taste with just a trace of saltiness, it stimulates salivation and is best paired with rounded, fresh wines low in tannins, with a moderate alcohol content and mellow, fruity aromas.”
Can you eat the hard part of Grana Padano? ›
The Grana Padano PDO rind is therefore an integral part of the cheese and is perfectly edible once the outermost surface has been carefully cleaned, as with the peel of an apple, for example; indeed, in accordance with the Production Specification Rules, the rind does not undergo any chemical treatments and is not ...
What are the crystals in Grana Padano? ›
When the tyrosine is freed up as the chains break down, it collects into tiny crystals about the size of a grain of kosher salt. So the majority of the crystals you see in cheeses like Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged Cheddars and Goudas are predominantly clusters of leftover tyrosine.
Why is Grana Padano cheaper than Parmigiano? ›
Like Parmesan, Grana Padano has to be made in a certain region of Italy, but Grana Padano's region is much larger, which ultimately makes the cheese more affordable, since more producers can make the cheese.
Is Grana Padano The King of cheese? ›
While Parmigiano-Reggiano enjoys a greater level of importance in the minds of consumers, Grana Padano is actually the best-selling PDO cheese in the world, with over five million wheels produced yearly.
What is the closest cheese to Grana Padano? ›
When it comes to Grana Padano substitutes, one cheese that often comes to mind is Parmigiano Reggiano. Both cheeses share a common origin in Italy and are renowned for their distinctive nutty and savory flavors.
