People only just realising how long parmesan can last as age record is smashed

A GIANT WHEEL OF PARMESAN CHEESE HAS SMASHED A RECORD AFTER SPENDING ALMOST 30 YEARS SITTING ON A SHELT MATURING. THE 36KG BEHEMOTH IS STILL EDIBLE AFTER BEING MADE IN 1998 AND IS APPARENTLY

'OUT OF THIS WORLD' SIAN HEWITT 14:24, 03 Jun 2025Updated 14:24, 03 Jun 2025 A giant wheel of parmesan has been deemed as good enough to eat after nearly three decades of sitting

on a shelf. The mouldy cheese has been dubbed an “authentic jewel of nature” after setting a longevity record for parmigiano reggiano. The whopping 36kg wheel is still edible after being

made in 1998 - so has sat there for 27 years and three months. Romano and Silvia Camorani made the wheel at their dairy in Poviglio, a small town near Parma in Italy’s northern

Emilia-Romagna region - and experts went along to the farm this week and deemed the cheese still edible. The parmesan, estimated to be worth more than €20,000 - around £17,000 - was finally

opened and sampled this week and deemed fine to eat, beating the previous record of the previous parmesan which was aged 21 years. Romano Camorani said: “The aroma and taste were out of this

world.” Article continues below He said that he still “lovingly” looked after the wheel as it aged as if it were his own child, saying he believes it “could have even acted until 30 years.”

Parmigiano reggiano has the EU’s protected designation of origin status, meaning it can only be produced in the Italian provinces of Reggio Emilia, Parma and Modena, as well as parts of

Mantua and Bologna. The cheese, famously served over a spag bol, is made with cow’s milk, salt and animal rennet, and ordinarily takes 12 to 36 months to mature, with extended ageing

occurring only in exceptional cases. The larger a parmesan wheel is, the more chance it has of ageing for longer. The cheese must contain the perfect combo of fat, protein and salt in order

to endure over time. The longer the parmesan matures, the more intense the flavour. It is up to the cheesemaker to decide how long they want the maturation process to last and when to open

it. The long-aged parmesan is then tasted by a panel from the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium and only considered authentic if judged to be edible and up to standard, which Camorani’s

record-breaking wheel was. Nicola Bertinelli, president of the consortium, said the opening of Camorani’s wheel was “an extraordinary moment”. Article continues below He said: “It

demonstrates how this product can remain amazing over time without the use of preservatives,” he said. “It’s an authentic jewel of nature.” Around 7kg of Camorani’s cheese was eaten

alongside drizzles of balsamic vinegar during the cutting ceremony and now he has to work out whether to sell, or keep the rest. “Some people have said that I should put it on the Japanese

market. But I want to keep it local,” he said.