Parmigiano Reggiano 36 Months PDO: The King of Cheeses
The Excellence of Long Aging
The Parmigiano Reggiano 36 months PDO represents the pinnacle of Emilian cheesemaking tradition. Aged for a full 3 years, this cheese develops a complex organoleptic profile with crunchy tyrosine crystals, intense flavor and layered aromas that make it irreplaceable in high-end cuisine.
Characteristics of Parmigiano 36 Months
PDO Production Zone
Certified territory:
- Provinces: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna (left of Reno), Mantua (right of Po)
- Altitude: Po Valley plain
- Milk: Friesian, Reggiana cows (Rossa)
Technical Profile
| cows (Rossa) | Value |
|---|---|
| Aging | Min. 36 months (some 40-48 months) |
| Wheel weight | 38-42 kg |
| Moisture | 28-32% (low from long aging) |
| Fat | 28-32% dry matter |
| Protein | 32-35% (very high) |
| Taste | Intense, savory, complex |
| Texture | Granular, tyrosine crystals |
Organoleptic Profile
Sensory characteristics:
Sight:
- Intense golden yellow color
- Compact paste with white crystals (tyrosine)
- Granular, crumbly structure
- Complex aromas: nuts (walnut), spices
- Broth, caramel notes
- Hints of hay and butter
- Intense, full, persistent flavor
- Balanced savory (never too salty)
- Underlying sweetness
- Pronounced umami
- Long aftertaste with spicy notes
- Granular texture that "crunches"
- Melts slowly in the mouth
- Crunchy tyrosine crystals
Differences between 12, 24, 36 Months
Aging Comparison
| Aspetto | 12 Months | 24 Months | 36 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Delicate, milky | Medium, balanced | Intense, complex |
| Texture | Soft, compact | Semi-hard, granular | Crumbly, crystals |
| Color | Light yellow | Medium yellow | Golden yellow |
| Umami | Light | Medium | Strong |
| Price/kg | €18-22 | €24-28 | €32-38 |
| Ideal use | Freshly grated | Shavings, grated | Tasting, shavings |
| Target | Daily use | Mid-high end | Fine dining |
- Pure tasting with premium wines
- Shavings on carpaccio, gourmet salads
- Finishing touch for starred dishes
- Tasting menus
- Gourmet customers who appreciate complexity
Using Parmigiano 36 Months in Cooking
1. Pure Tasting
Gourmet Platter:
- Irregular shavings (not cubes)
- Accompany with:
Wines to pair:
- 🍷 Lambrusco di Sorbara (Emilian classic)
- 🍷 Franciacorta Riserva (structured sparkling)
- 🍷 Barolo DOCG (important red)
- 🍷 Marsala Superiore (meditation wine)
2. Parmigiano Risotto
Classic Recipe (4 servings):
- Carnaroli rice 320g
- Vegetable broth 1.2L
- Butter 80g
- Parmigiano 36 months grated 150g
- White wine 100ml
- Shallot 1
- Toast rice with shallot
- Deglaze with white wine
- Cook adding broth gradually
- When cooked (16-18 min), cream with:
- Serve creamy with Parmigiano shavings on top
3. Cacio e Pepe Gourmet Pasta
Variant with Parmigiano 36 months:
- Fresh tonnarelli 400g
- Parmigiano 36 months finely grated 200g
- Pecorino Romano 50g (Roman touch)
- Freshly ground black pepper 10g (generous)
- Cooking water
- Cook pasta al dente
- In bowl: Parmigiano + Pecorino + pepper + pasta water
- Mix until smooth cream
- Add pasta, cream 1 minute
- Serve with Parmigiano shavings and fresh pepper
4. Gourmet Caesar Salad
With Parmigiano 36 months:
- Crisp romaine lettuce
- Parmigiano 36 months shaved (not grated!)
- Garlic croutons
- Homemade Caesar dressing
- Cantabrian anchovies (premium)
- 2 yolks, 4 anchovies, 1 garlic clove
- Lemon juice, Dijon mustard
- Extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano
- Emulsify until creamy
5. Gourmet Pizza with Parmigiano
Topping after baking:
- White pizza (mozzarella base, oil)
- After baking:
Variants:
- Parmigiano + black truffle
- Parmigiano + porcini mushrooms
- Parmigiano + caramelized figs
Professional Storage
Optimal Storage
Whole wheel (uncut):
- Temperature: 6-8°C
- Humidity: 75-80%
- Position: On wood, turn every 15 days
- Duration: 6-12 months
- Wrap in food paper (no direct plastic)
- Then in plastic wrap
- Store 4-6°C
- Consume within 30 days
- Prepare at moment of service
- If prepared in advance: max 24h, airtight container
- AVOID industrial grated (loses aromas)
How to Cut Parmigiano
Professional technique:
For shavings:
- Use almond knife (specific for Parmigiano)
- Insert wedge-shaped into wheel
- Lever to detach irregular shavings
- Result: shavings 2-3mm thick
- Cut 5x5cm pieces
- Use fine-hole grater (Microplane for finishing)
- Grate at moment of service
- ❌ Regular cubes (destroys texture)
- ❌ Electric slicer (heats and compresses)
- ❌ Grated days before (loses aromas)
Premium Wine Pairings
Red Wines
- 🍷 Barolo DOCG - Tannic, elegant, aged
- 🍷 Amarone della Valpolicella - Structured, complex
- 🍷 Brunello di Montalcino - Powerful, harmonious
- 🍷 Chianti Classico Riserva - Balanced, fruity
White Wines
- 🍷 Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva - Structure, minerality
- 🍷 Soave Classico Superiore - Elegant, floral
- 🍷 Fiano di Avellino - Complex, hazelnut notes
Sparkling Wines
- 🍷 Franciacorta Satèn - Creamy, delicate
- 🍷 Franciacorta Riserva - Structured, long aging
- 🍷 Champagne Blanc de Blancs - Elegance, finesse
Meditation Wines
- 🍷 Marsala Superiore - Sweet, spicy
- 🍷 Vin Santo del Chianti - Passito, honey
- 🍷 Porto Tawny - Complex, dried fruit
LAPA Parmigiano Reggiano for Switzerland
Why Choose LAPA
- ✅ PDO Certified - Only Consortium-certified wheels
- ✅ Guaranteed Aging - Minimum 36 months verified
- ✅ Selected Dairies - Partnership with best producers
- ✅ Fresh Cutting - Portioned to order
- ✅ Refrigerated Delivery - 24-48h in Switzerland
- ✅ Flexible Formats - From 500g to whole wheels
Available Formats
For Restaurants:
- 500g-1kg: Vacuum-packed portions (weekly use)
- 2-5kg: Wedges for high rotation
- 10-20kg: Half wheel (large restaurants)
- 38-42kg: Whole wheel (groups, catering)
- Freshly grated on request (min. 1kg)
- Pre-cut shavings for mise en place
- Food cost consulting and inventory management
Switzerland Geographic Coverage
- ✅ Zurich - 24h delivery
- ✅ Geneva - 24h delivery
- ✅ Basel - 24h delivery
- ✅ Lugano - 24h delivery
- ✅ Bern, Lausanne - 24-48h delivery
- ✅ Other cities - 48h delivery
FAQ on Parmigiano 36 Months
1. What's the difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano?
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO:
- Production zone: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena
- Cow feeding: Only grass and hay (no silage)
- Milk: Partially skimmed by natural resting
- Minimum aging: 12 months (36 for extra)
- Flavor: More intense, complex
- Lysozyme: NO (natural preservative)
- Production zone: Po Valley (broader)
- Feeding: Silage allowed
- Milk: Skimmed by centrifuge
- Minimum aging: 9 months
- Flavor: More delicate, uniform
- Lysozyme: YES (allowed)
2. How to recognize authentic Parmigiano Reggiano?
Mandatory checks:
- ✅ Fire brand on rind:
- Dots forming "Parmigiano Reggiano"
- Dairy number
- Month and year of production
- ✅ Consortium seal:
- Round label "Parmigiano Reggiano PDO"
- Wheel number
- Aging date
- ✅ Rind:
- Thickness 5-6mm
- Golden yellow color
- Hard but not excessively dry
- ✅ Inner paste:
- Uniform straw yellow color (36 months: golden)
- Visible white crystals (tyrosine)
- Granular, crumbly
- ❌ Red flags (not authentic):
- Missing fire brands
- Rind too thin or soft
- Paste excessively hard or rubbery
- Flavor too salty or acidic
- Suspiciously low price
3. Can you use the Parmigiano rind?
Absolutely YES! The rind is edible and valuable:
Cooking uses:
- Broths and soups: Add whole rind during cooking (releases umami flavor)
- Risottos: Cook rind in broth
- Ragù: Add during slow simmering
- Cream soups: Blend cooked rind with vegetables
- Clean rind with damp cloth (remove impurities)
- Cut into 5x5cm pieces
- Add during cooking
- Remove before serving (or blend)
- Freeze in bag (lasts months)
- Use directly from frozen
4. Is Parmigiano 36 months suitable for lactose intolerant?
YES, generally well tolerated!
Motivi:
- Long aging (36 months) degrades almost all lactose
- Lattosio residuo:
- Natural enzyme digestion process
- ✅ OK for mild-moderate intolerances (majority of cases)
5. Why does Parmigiano 36 months cost so much?
Factors justifying the premium price:
But:
- 36 months aging = 3 years of storage
- Costs: climate-controlled warehouses, staff, checks
- Capital tied up for 3 years
- Fresh wheel: 42kg
- 36-month wheel: ~34kg (-20% by evaporation)
- Lower yield = higher price
- Highest quality milk
- 550 liters milk = 1 wheel
- Controlled cow feeding (only grass/hay)
- Every wheel is checked and stamped by Consortium
- Non-compliant wheels = discarded
- Only ~70% wheels pass 36-month check
- Unreplicable organoleptic complexity
- Tyrosine crystals (develop only after 24+ months)
- Intense umami
- 12 months: €18-22/kg
- 24 months: €24-28/kg
- 36 months: €32-38/kg
- 48+ months: €40-50/kg
6. How to serve Parmigiano 36 months to maximize profit?
HORECA strategies:
1. Premium tasting platter (€18-25)
- Parmigiano 36 months 80g (cost: €2.80)
- Traditional balsamic vinegar (few drops)
- Artisanal honey 20g
- Walnuts/almonds 30g
- Mostarda/preserve 30g
- Food cost: ~35% | Margin: 65%
- Parmigiano 36 months 40g/portion (cost: €1.40)
- Rice, broth, butter: €2.50
- Total food cost: €3.90 | Sale price: €25
- Margin: 84%
- Add Parmigiano 36 months shavings to:
- Additional cost: €0.80-1.20 (25g)
- Menu upcharge: €5-8
- Margin: 400-600%
- Offer vacuum-packed pieces to take home
- Price: €45-50/kg (vs cost €32-35)
- Margin: 40-50%
- Benefit: Customer loyalty + upselling
Conclusion: Invest in the King of Cheeses
Additional cost
- Differentiate your offer from competitors
- Justify premium prices with tangible quality
- Build loyalty with gourmet clientele who recognize excellence
- Enhance simple dishes with an extraordinary ingredient
👉 Order Now Parmigiano Reggiano 36 Months PDO
LAPA Contacts:
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 📞 Tel: +41 XX XXX XX XX
- 🌐 Catalog: www.lapa.ch/parmigiano-36-months
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