How is Parmesan Cheese Made? (2024)

FAQs

How is Parmesan Cheese Made? ›

Parmesan cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk and is aged at least 12 months. Whole milk and naturally skimmed milk are combined and then distributed into copper vats for heating. During the two-step heating process, additional ingredients like whey and rennet are added to form the curd.

Nearly the same as it's been made since day one. Parmesan starts off as skimmed cow's milk to which bacteria is added -- thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, to be exact. After heating the mixture, rennet is added to curdle the milk. The curd is broken up into rice-sized pieces and left to settle for about an hour.

Parmesan cheese is made with animal rennet which is an enzyme that comes from the fourth lining of the stomach of animals, typically calves, goats, and lambs. The animal is usually killed in the process. The rennet is then taken and dried so it becomes solid.

So Why Isn't Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian? This answer is encapsulated in one word: rennet. Specifically animal rennet, collected from slaughtered cows, goats or other young, milk-fed ruminant animals.

When it comes to some cheeses, the cruelty extends even further than the exploitation of cows for their milk. Certain types, including the Italian hard cheese parmesan, are made according to strict, traditional production methods, which include specific animal ingredients.

Fortunately, once you know the truth about Parmesan, it's exceptionally easy to shop for the real thing. True Parmigiano Reggiano will be labeled "made in" or "from" Italy, and often sport a PDO seal. Since the Italian name is protected here in the US, those words should be an adequate guarantee on their own.

Rennet has traditionally been used to separate milk into solid curds and liquid whey, used in the production of cheeses. Rennet from calves has become less common for this use, to the point that less than 5% of cheese in the United States is made using animal rennet today.

Firstly, it is important to know that animal rennet is very much a by-product from young animals. It is extremely unusual for an animal to be killed only for production of rennet because, quite apart from anything else, it does not make economic sense and would be very wasteful of the rest of the animal.

BelGioioso Vegetarian Parmesan is made with fresh milk gathered daily from our local farmers, and without any animal rennet. Each wheel is aged in special caves for over 10 months. BelGioioso's Master Cheesemakers carefully inspect and hand-turn each wheel to ensure a consistent aging process.

Cheeses That Don't Use Rennet

"Many softer styles of cheese like mozzarella, paneer, ricotta, and cream cheese use whey or another type of acid as their coagulant instead of rennet, so they will be safe for vegetarians," says Birnbaum.

Why can't Muslims eat Parmesan cheese? ›

In the traditional sense, Parmesan cheese is made using rennet. Rennet is a natural enzyme found in the stomach of young mammals that helps them digest their mother's milk. Since rennet is a restricted, or haram, ingredient in a Muslim's diet, traditionally made Parmesan is not halal.

Younger, soft cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, goat, and provolone often are not made with rennet.

Most pesto is not considered vegan for the sole reason that basic recipes call for some kind of hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, which is not suitable for vegans. Some authentic Parmesan is even made using rennet, an enzyme found in the lining of a goat or calf's stomach.

If you look carefully at your food label, you might see just “enzymes” on the back of the package with little to no further explanation. This refers to either animal, plant, or microbial enzymes. Parmesan is always made with animal enzymes, also called animal rennet, meaning it's not vegetarian.

Most hard cheeses, including Parmesan, Cheddar, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, and Swiss, are traditionally made with rennet, while some soft cheeses aren't (scroll down for five you can try).

The traditional method of harvesting animal rennet involves dicing the stomach, which has been cleaned and dried, and soaking it in whey or salted water. In some instances, vinegar or wine can be added to the mixture. After a few days, this can be filtered, and what is left over is the animal rennet.

The wheels that pass the test are fire-branded with the DOP oval certification mark and stamped with pin-dot marks on the rind that reads 'Parmigiano-Reggiano,' repeated all along the rind. When you buy a block of cheese, look for the pin-dot wording on the rind.

Generally, the main difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan cheese outside of Italy is in consistency and complexity. While designated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is aged a minimum of two years, you'll find parmesan in the States only aged ten months.

Popular types of natural cheeses include unripened (e. g., cottage cheese, cream cheese), soft (e. g., Brie, Camembert), semi-hard (e. g., Brick, Muenster, Roquefort, Stilton), hard (e. g., Colby, Cheddar), blue veined (e. g., Blue, Gorgonzola), cooked hard cheeses (e. g., Swiss, Parmesan), and pasta filata (stretched ...

For those who might be new to the Parmesan rind cooking game (thinking that's just about everyone), here the secret: Unlike many other cheeses, Parmesan does not have any wax or other additives in its rind. It is literally just the aged and hardened exterior of the cheese that has been washed in salt brine.