Parmigiano-Reggiano is strictly bound to its place of origin. Both the production of milk and its transformation into cheese take place in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the west of the Reno River and Mantua to the east of the Po River.
The verb "to make" is absolutely correct in this case because Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is not just manufactured, but "it is made" today as it was made eight centuries ago, using those same typical and genuine ingredients: the precious milk from the area of origin, fire, rennet, the expertise of old methods and the skill and knowledge of cheese masters. Then, it is aged naturally for two years or more; however, this implies a great deal of effort because cheese wheels must be brushed and turned continually, they must be taken care of, supervised and inspected day after day to assure their compliance with the rigorous maturation standard. Aging also means risk and trepidation because the miracle of a perfect maturation is essentially determined by nature's very own slow rhythm.
If you look at the way a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is cut in half before its sale, the first thing that draws our attention is the particular and original tool that is used for this operation. It is a characteristic knife with a short, pointed and almond-shaped blade. One side is thinner to aid penetration while the other side is thicker because it must act as a wedge. In fact, a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is not cut, but instead "opened" so that its internal structure and its grainy texture are not altered. Using the tip of the knife, a line is drawn that divides the wheel in half on the diameter of the two flat faces and along the convex sides.