Any Italian can proudly call Grana Padano cheese a national product. Its history began a long time ago. Even in the annals of Ancient Rome there is mention of recipes for its preparation.
Product Description
Now Grana Padano cheese is produced in all corners of sunny Italy. It is easy to recognize on store shelves. These are voluminous cylindrical heads about 45 centimeters in diameter with a white or yellowish crust. The product has a granular consistency and belongs to the category of hard cheeses. It is difficult to confuse its unusual brackish taste with a barely noticeable shade of walnut.
Grana Padano cheese is a bit like Parmesan. True, unlike this famous variety, it does not have such a strict framework regarding the geography of the origin of the feedstock. The unusual name of the product consists of two words that can be translated as: “grana” is “granule” or “grain”, and “padano” is a derivative on behalf of the famous Po river, which flows through all of Italy. Grana Padano cheese is of three types:
1) Young. Ripening time is less than 10 months.
2) Medium seasoned. Ripens up to 16 months.
3) Aged. It takes more than 20 months to cook.
Each of them is good in its own way and has a certain group of supporters.
Features of the production process
It is known that the characteristics and properties of any product depend on the method of its preparation. So is the Grana Padano cheese. Photos can verify this by examining its unusual structure.
Outwardly, it looks like a clot in the form of small clumped lumps. The process of preparing such a product is quite interesting:
- First, skim milk is poured into the copper pot.
- Then rennet and natural serum are added to it. Over time, in the process of coagulation of the ingredients, formations appear in the form of small grains.
- Then the mass is heated, all the clots settle to the bottom.
- The resulting product is collected and placed in a salted solution for 30 days.
- After this, the semi-finished product is sent for ripening. To do this, the pressed heads are placed on racks in a room where a certain humidity and temperature are maintained. To avoid mold or possible weathering, the cheese must always be turned over.
The exposure time depends on the type of product. Technologists are clearly following this.
New Product
The product line of the famous brand has a rather interesting specimen - Grana Padano Lactose-free cheese. It was developed by specialists for that category of people who, due to the characteristics of the body, are not able to consume dairy products. The main reason is lactose intolerance. This is usually due to a lack of a certain enzyme in the intestine, which is responsible for the process of assimilation of milk sugar. Doctors call this hypolactasia. Such a person is forced to treat food selectively and limit himself all the time. Cheesemakers have found a way out of this situation. They came up with the idea of adding a special enzyme to the clot, which will decompose lactose while the product is ripening. It turned out very well.
The finished product tastes no different from regular cheese. It retains all the organoleptic and physico-chemical properties that are inherent in the sample of a particular species. Perhaps this explains his particular popularity.
Benefits for the body
Grana Padano cheese is very popular not only in Italy, but around the world. Its composition is very rich and diverse, which characterizes the product only on the positive side. First you need to pay attention to the mineral substances, of which there are many. Here you can find a lot of calcium and phosphorus, which are responsible for the condition of bone tissues, as well as the course of all metabolic processes. In addition, potassium is present, which normalizes the water balance and affects the functioning of the heart. In addition, zinc, magnesium, selenium, copper and iron are available. All these elements, one way or another, strengthen the body and help its recovery. There is also a vitamin complex, where representatives of group B predominate. They have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the body as a whole.
A piece of such cheese in the evening will allow you to feel a surge of vigor in the morning and not recall yesterday's tiredness.