Q: What is Parmigiano-Reggiano?

A: In a process that has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made in northern Italy from a blend of nonfat and whole milk and aged for 18 to 30 (or more) months. The resulting cheese has a very firm, but not dry, texture that's at once smooth and studded with teeny bits of crunch from milk proteins. The genuine cheese bears an oval stamp ("Parmigiano-Reggiano/Consorzio Tutela") on the rind. Buy it by the chunk and grate as much as you need at a time.