Named after the Italian city of Parma, where monks were making this hard cheese by the 13th century
A hard, dry, granular cheese originally from the Parma region of Italy
From French 'parmesan', from Italian 'parmigiano' meaning 'of or from Parma', the city in Emilia-Romagna where this style of cheese has been produced since at least the 13th century. The city name Parma derives from the Etruscan or Latin name for the round shields (parma) carried by Roman soldiers, possibly reflecting the shape of the original settlement or a local product. Parmigiano-Reggiano is now a protected designation of origin in the European Union. Key roots: Parma (Latin