Pascua con quien quieras
La Pascua es una de las fiestas más queridas en Italia, celebrada con un gran almuerzo en compañía de muchos amigos o familiares, llevando a la mesa los mejores productos de nuestra tradición gastronómica y los primeros frutos de la primavera.
Easter is one of the most beloved holidays in Italy, celebrated with a grand lunch in the company of many friends or family, bringing to the table the finest products of our gastronomic tradition and the first fruits of spring. This year, we've created a sharing menu that can be prepared in advance, so that even the hosts can share the table with their guests. These delicious appetizers share one important ingredient: Grana Padano DOP, one of the world's oldest cheeses.
Good for almost a thousand years
The history of Grana Padano begins almost a thousand years ago, when the Benedictine monks of Chiaravalle Abbey discovered a way to preserve excess milk, creating a hard cheese capable of lasting over time. Its Latin name was "Caesus Vetus," but the common people, unfamiliar with Latin, gave it another name, derived from the distinctive texture of its compact yet grainy texture. Thus, the name "formai de grana" or simply "grana" was born. During the 1950s, it was officially renamed "Grana Padano," with the adjective identifying its production area, and the corresponding Protection Consortium was established. Originally from Lombardy, it is now produced in 32 provinces and five regions of the Po Valley: Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Trentino, and Piedmont. Protected by the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) since 1996, Grana Padano is made exclusively with partially skimmed raw milk and aged for a minimum of 9 months; if it is aged for at least 20 months, it can be labeled Riserva. Lactose-free and rich in vitamins and minerals, Grana Padano is incredibly versatile at the table: try it in our Easter recipes. Which is your favorite?
All the Grana Padano cheese ages
Grana Padano aged over 12 months has a sweet, delicate flavor reminiscent of milk, and a compact, light straw-colored paste that lacks the typical graininess. Grana Padano aged over 16 and over 18 months has a more intense straw-colored paste and already possesses the typical grainy texture; flavorful, but never sharp, it is suitable for grating, as a meal, as an ingredient in hot dishes, and for stirring in pasta and risotto. Grana Padano "Riserva" aged over 20 and over 24 months has a particularly pronounced graininess and a uniform white or straw-colored paste. Thanks to its long maturation, it has a rich, yet never aggressive, flavor. Try it also paired with fresh and dried fruit, honey, and jams.