Organoleptic properties

Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese which is cooked and ripened slowly. It is produced by curdling the milk of cows who are fed on green and dried forages. The cows are milked twice a day, the milk is left to stand, and then partially creamed. It is produced all year round.
Shape: cylindrical, slightly convex or almost straight sides, flat faces with a thin rind.
Sizes: 35 to 45 cm in diameter; the sides range from 15 to 18 cm in height, which may vary in accordance with the conditions and production techniques.

Weight: 24 to 40 kg per cheese wheel. Minimum cheese wheel weight is 24 kg.
External appearance: dark colour, slightly oily.
Structure colour: white or straw yellow.

Typical aroma and flavour: fragrant, delicate.
Structure: fine, grainy, radial fracture into slivers
Holes: just visible.
Rind thickness: 4 to 8 mm.
Ripening: the cheese is ripened by storing it in a natural environment at 15 to 22° C.
Resistance to ripening: 1 - 2 years.


Use: table and grating.
Dry substance fat: 32% minimum.
Production areas: the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Novara, Torino, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Mantova to the left of the River Po, Milan, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese, Trento, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona, Vicenza, Bologna to the right of the River Reno, Ferrara, Forti, Piacenza and Ravenna.