Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese | Zupan’s Markets Portland

The Champagne of cheese, we are proud to carry Four types of Parmigiano Reggiano this month during Ciao Italia.

The history of Parmigiano Reggiano is as rich as this aged cheese. Dating back to Roman times, this Italian classic really is the “King of Cheese”. Parmigiano Reggiano is much like sparkling wine and Champagne; there are many “Parmesan” styles, but there is only one true Parmigiano Reggiano.

Parmigiano Reggiano is protected as a PDO product of Italy and can only truly be Parmigiano Reggiano if it is made in one of 5 Italian provinces: Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena, Mantua & Bologna. To this day, Parmigiano Reggiano follows tradition and is made in large copper vats with milk from both the morning’s milking and the previous night’s milking. Each wheel of genuine Parmigiano Reggiano is labeled on the rind with the year and month when it was made, as well as the creamery or “caseificio” number.

Join us on Saturday, February 7 at 1 pm as our Cheesemongers crack a fresh wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano in-store.

Parmigiano Reggiano at Zupan’s

24 Month Aged Parmigiano Reggiano

Our go-to Parmigiano Reggiano at Zupan’s and available every day. Even our fresh-grated and fresh-shredded cheese begins as full wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano, carefully cracked, cut, and ready for your recipes. We recommend always having a piece on hand for everything from pasta to wine tastings.

Tasting Notes: Balanced, nutty & salty.

24 Month Bruna Alpina Parmigiano Reggiano

Most Parmigiano Reggiano is made with the milk from high-producing Holstein- Friesian cows. A few intrepid farms and creameries have thankfully preserved the centuries-old tradition of making cheese from the rich milk of more traditional breeds, such as Bruna Alpina cows. The resulting “Solo di Bruna” Parmigiano Reggiano is a step above the rest. We think of it as the Parmigiano Reggiano “comfort food”.

Tasting Notes: Rich, earthy & deep.

24 Month Aged Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano

Aged by fifth-generation affineur Giorgio Cravero whose family has aged Parmigiano Reggiano in Bra, Italy since 1855. The milk for Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano comes exclusively from cows that graze among the mountains of Benedello di Pavullo. Not all Parmesans are made in the mountains, but it makes a difference. The diverse mountain ground cover gives these cheeses a distinct terroir, a flavor that can’t be replicated from lowland grass. The result is a lush, buttery mouthfeel and a depth of flavor that is unmatched.

Head cheese maker, Massimo makes just ten wheels of cheese per day. His dairy is called Caseificio Sociale San Pietro and it’s one of the smallest makers in the Parmigiano Consorzio. Plus he’s one of only a few dozen of the 300 Parmigiano Reggiano cheesemakers who make cheese from exclusively mountain pastures. An exceptionally smooth, creamy cheese. The texture is moist, interspersed with the satisfying crunch of the tyrosine crystals. It is not dry, chalky, or grainy.

Tasting Notes: Buttery, fruity & fragrant.

24 Month Aged Bianca Modenese Parmigiano Reggiano

Crafted from the exceptionally rich milk of the rare Bianca Modenese white cow, a heritage breed once nearly lost to time but preserved by dedicated farmers who value depth of flavor over high yields. A rare treat, this Parm is made by just seven small Italian farms. Its texture is crystalline yet creamy on the palate, and its flavor feels like a rediscovery of tradition—an heirloom expression of Northern Italy’s cheesemaking past.

Tasting Notes: Clean, bright & buttery.