Question 1

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano contains no preservatives or additives, only milk, salt, and rennet.

Accepted Answer

True. Its ingredients are strictly milk, salt, and rennet—no additives, making it a natural cheese.

Question 2

True or false: A single wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano can contain over 500,000 liters of milk.

Accepted Answer

False. A wheel uses about 550 liters of milk, not 500,000. That would be absurdly huge.

Question 3

True or false: The rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano is edible and often used in soups.

Accepted Answer

True. The rind is hard but safe to eat; it's added to broths and soups for umami flavor.

Question 4

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano is aged for a minimum of 12 months before it can be sold.

Accepted Answer

True. The minimum aging is 12 months, though many wheels age 24 or 36 months for deeper flavor.

Question 5

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano is always vegetarian because it uses microbial rennet.

Accepted Answer

False. True Parmigiano-Reggiano uses calf rennet, not microbial, so it's not vegetarian.

Question 6

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano must be aged for at least 12 months before it can be sold.

Accepted Answer

True. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium's production rules mandate a minimum aging of 12 months, starting from the day the cheese is formed.

Question 7

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano is naturally lactose-free because aging breaks down lactose completely.

Accepted Answer

True. During the minimum 12-month aging process, lactose is completely broken down into lactic acid, making Parmigiano-Reggiano naturally lactose-free, as confirmed by its production consortium.

Question 8

True or false: Parmigiano-Reggiano was first made by monks in the 12th century.

Accepted Answer

True. According to the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, the cheese originated in the 12th century, created by Benedictine and Cistercian monks in the Po Valley region.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Trivia Questions