Red Reggiana Cow

The Red Reggiana cow was supposedly brought to Italy by the Lombards, a theory supported by the resemblance—their similar red mantles—between the highly regarded Emiliana breed and those still found in central Russia and the Ukraine. These are the red cows giving Parmigiano-Reggiano its name. In the post-war years, industrialization and the introduction of cows that yielded greater quantities of milk, threatened to make this breed extinct. These cows produce milk that is particularly rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus, and possesses much better cheese making qualities: it coagulates quicker, the curd is more consistent and elastic. The whey is clearer and the cream separates much easier. Most importantly, however, it has a much higher yield in cheese than milk from Frisian cows: Red Reggiana Cow’s milk yields one more kilo of cheese for each hundred kilograms of milk used. Its excellent suitability for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano is also affirmed by its taste. Red Reggiana Cow Parmigiano is generally aged for at least 24 month (compared to 12 month for regular Parmigiano Reggiano), even though the ideal is to consume it after 26-28 months. The annual production adds up to just about 4.000 forms of cheese each year. Red Reggiana cows are bred in the province of Reggio Emilia.