Wheel of 20th-century Italian cheese smashes record for oldest parmesan
The still edible 36kg wheel was one of the last made in 1998 by Romano Camorani and his wife Silvia at their dairy in Poviglio, a small town in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region.
The parmesan, estimated to be worth more than €20,000 (£16,880), was finally opened and sampled on Sunday at the age of 27 years and three months, beating the previous record of 21 years.
'The aroma and taste were out of this world,' said Camorani, adding that he still 'lovingly' looked after the wheel as it aged, despite no longer making cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano has the EU's protected designation of origin status, meaning it can only be produced in the Italian provinces of Reggio Emilia, Parma, Modena, Mantua and Bologna.
Made with cow's milk, salt and animal rennet, the cheese ordinarily takes 12 to 36 months to mature, with extended aging occurring only in exceptional cases.
The larger a parmesan wheel is, the more chance it has of ageing for longer. The cheese also needs to contain the right amount of fat, protein and salt in order to make it endure over time. The longer the parmesan matures, the more intense its flavour.
It is up to the cheesemaker to decide how long they want the maturation process to last and when to open it. The long-aged parmesan is then tasted by a panel from the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium and only considered authentic if judged to be edible and up to standard, which Camorani's record-breaking wheel was.
Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium, said the opening of Camorani's wheel marked 'an extraordinary moment'.
'Because it demonstrates how this product can remain amazing over time without the use of preservatives,' he added. 'It's an authentic jewel of nature.'
About 7kg of Camorani's cheese was eaten alongside drizzles of balsamic vinegar during the cutting ceremony at Acetaia Razzoli, a family-run balsamic vinegar producer founded by Giuliano Razzoli, an ex-Olympic ski champion.
Other than the right combination of ingredients, Camorani believes the wheel's longevity is due to him 'lovingly caring' for the cheese as much as he would a child. 'I think it could have even lasted 30 years,' he said.
But now he needs to decide what to do with it.
The previous record-holding Parmigiano Reggiano, made in 2000 by a dairy owned by the late cheesemaker Erio Bertani, was auctioned for charity.
'Some people have said that I should put it on the Japanese market,' said Camorani. 'But I want to keep it local.'
If somebody wants to buy the whole of what remains of the cheese, they can, although it will most likely be sold in pieces. Buyers can either order the cheese and collect it from Romano, or have it delivered.
Parmigiano Reggiano is promoted by Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano, an association linked to the consortium that supports its members in competing in cheese contests around the world, including at the upcoming international cheese and dairy awards in the UK.
Its goal is to beat a 28-year record set by an American cheddar cheese in 2013. Gabriele Arlotti, a spokesperson for the association, said there's already a Parmigiano Reggiano contender, although its location is under wraps.
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