Grana (cheese)

Grana originally referred to a class of hard, mature cheeses from Italy which have a granular texture and are often used for grating. These cheeses are typically made in the form of large drums. The structure is often described as crystalline, and the drums are divided by being split with a fairly blunt triangular knife designed for the purpose, rather than being sliced, cut or sawn. Within the European Union, the term Grana is now legally protected by Grana Padano Protected Designation of Origin, such that only Grana Padano may be sold using the term in EU countries.

The two best-known examples of grana-type cheeses are Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano. The two cheeses are broadly similar, with the latter being less sharp, crumbly and grainy.

The main difference between the two is that cows producing Parmigiano-Reggiano eat only grass and cereals (no silage), no preservatives and no antibiotics. Cows that have been treated with antibiotics are suspended from production of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Silage is a fermented forage that requires the addition of a natural preservative (lysozyme) to Grana Padano.

Other Grana cheeses include:

Grana cheeses typically contains cheese crystals, semi-solid to gritty crystalline spots that at least partially consist of the amino acid tyrosine.

Grana originally described a type of hard cheese from the Po Valley (Valle Padana), Northern Italy, with a distinctive granular texture (the word "grana" in Italian means "grain").

Created by monks nearly 1000 years ago as way to preserve the surplus milk their herds produced, they invented a cheese that could withstand long storage.

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Wikipedia