Grana Padano

Diana Lee: Journalist covering food and lifestyle trends in Italy, based in Milan.

It originated in the 12th century at the Chiaravalle Abbey, south of Milan in the Po Valley, where skilled Cistercian monks not only created the first wheel of this aged cheese but left behind a rich agricultural legacy that would shape much of the food culture of the region as now known.

The monks called the aged cheese caseus vetus (”old cheese“ in Latin), but it soon became widely known as grana (“grainy” in Italian) due to its crumbly texture. Grana was a delicious solution to preserve surplus milk but not only - for peasants, it was a precious food source when fresh produce was scarce, for wealthy aristocrats it would become the centrepiece of elaborate banquets.

As popularity spread, different areas around the Po Valley began to produce grana - “grana milanese” from Milan, the “mantovano” (Mantua) and the “lodesano” (Lodi) and so on.

It was only in the 1950s, intending to establish a stronger identity that the various grana were united under the name “Grana Padano”. With Padano indicating the area of production, Pianura Padana (Po River Valley). Rules were established, geographical areas of the production were identified, and finally, in 1996, Grana Padano was assigned the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin status.

The iconic cheese today is the result of the techniques honed over centuries and passed down generations of casari (cheesemakers) of the northern areas of Italy. It represents tradition, passion and a taste that is symbolic of Italy’s great culinary treasures.