Nothing elevates a simple pasta dish quite like authentic Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.

Finely grated over pasta, shaved into a salad, or broken into shards on a cheeseboard, Italy’s favourite hard cheese is hard to beat. With its characteristic sharpness, deep flavour and unique texture, parmesan is one of Italy’s best-loved exports.

So what makes it so special? Parmigiano Reggiano is the only cheese that can be legally called ‘parmesan’. It’s a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product and one of the oldest cheeses in the world. Made in a small area of northern Italy – including the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of Mantua and Bologna – it’s changed little since it was first produced nearly a thousand years ago. Other Italian cheeses may be mistaken for parmesan due to their shape, but unless produced under Parmigiano Reggiano’s exact conditions and area of origin, they’re not the real deal.

Why not pick up a wedge and see the difference yourself?