A large Parmigiano Reggiano cheese has broken the world record for the oldest Parmesan cheese in the world. The cheese is 27 years and three months old.
The Parmigiano Reggiano weighs 36 kilos and was made in 1998 in Poviglio, a village near the Italian city of Parma. The value of the cheese is estimated at more than 20,000 euros.
The Parmesan cheese was exactly 27 years and three months old when it was opened and tasted on Sunday. With that age, a world record has been broken. The previous record was held by a 21-year-old cheese.
“The smell and taste were otherworldly,” says Romano Camorani, the maker of the cheese, to The Guardian. He no longer makes cheese, but says he would like to sell the cheese locally.
Parmigiano Reggiano is made from cow’s milk, salt and animal rennet and normally takes 12 to 36 months to mature. The larger the cheese, the longer the maturation. The cheese must contain exactly the right amount of fat, protein and salt to be preserved for a long time. The longer the Parmesan cheese matures, the more intense the taste.
