What is the Difference Between Grana Padano and Parmesan?

If you want to know the difference between the two Italian cheeses Grana Padano and Parmesan, then read this advice to the end.

Differences between Grana Padano and Parmesan

- The first difference between these two cheeses is how much of them is produced. The cheese Grana Padano is produced in a much larger quantities than the one in which Parmesan is produced. That's why its price is lower than that of Parmigiano Reggiano. About 4,800,000 Grana Padano cheeses are produced annually and only 3,400,000 - Parmesan. This makes Grana Padano cheese one of the most produced in Italy;

- Another difference between the two cheeses is in the way of raising the cows from which milk is used for their production. The cows are raised in different places and fed different food, which means that the two types of cheese have a different nutritional composition. This is very important when it comes to cheese making. As a result of the different feed of the cows, a different taste of the two types of cheese is obtained. The taste is also influenced by where and how long the given type of cheese has aged. The taste is also affected by the time of year of production. The cows whose milk is used for making Parmesan are fed only grass, they must not consume forage, which is fermented and is high in moisture;

- Cows from which milk is milked to make Parmesan must be milked twice - in the morning and in the evening. The milk should be kept at a temperature of 18°C, it should not be lower. Also, the milk must be brought to the dairy farm no later than 2 hours after the cow has been milked. This temperature is very important for the mesophilic lactic bacteria, which help the cheese to ripen;

- The cows from which milk is used to make Grana Padano must also be milked twice a day, but with this difference that it must be taken to the dairy farm only 24 hours after it has been milked. Its temperature must be below 8°C;

- A difference between Parmigiano and Grana Padano is also in the composition of the two cheeses:

- Preservatives are not allowed to be used to make Parmesan, but they are allowed to be used to make Grana Padano. The most common preservative used is lysozyme;

- Grana Padano is made entirely from milk that is partially skimmed and therefore contains less fat than Parmesan, which is made from a mixture of full-fat and skimmed milk;

- The difference between the two Italian cheeses is also in the maturation - Grana Padano cheese matures faster and has three stages during which it matures;

- Parmesan takes a minimum of 12 months to mature and the older varieties - about 36 months. Any cheese that is older than 2 years is called Stravecchio. This is another reason why Parmesan is more expensive than Grana Padano;

- There is also a difference between the two cheeses in their taste qualities - The taste is different for all types of cheese, so it is difficult to compare them. Cows that feed in a cooler and rainier climate make a softer, cleaner and more aromatic cheese than that made in the valleys. Parmesan has a much stronger, more pronounced and saltier taste, while Grana Padano has a milder and more subtle taste.

However, you can use both cheeses in recipes such as:

- Lasagna;

- Pasta with shrimp;

- Spaghetti carbonara.