Grana Padano is a hard, slow-ripened cheese from the Po River Valley in northern Italy, with roots tracing to Cistercian monks producing cheese in the region in the 12th century. It carries Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and is made from the raw, partially skimmed milk of cows grazing in Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Trentino-Alto Adige.
It is aged a minimum of 9 months and up to 20 months or more; younger wheels have a delicate, milky sweetness that develops into nuttiness and umami with age, and long-aged wheels can develop a crystalline texture.
Grana Padano is most often grated over pasta, risotto, soups, and salads, or eaten on its own with crusty bread and cured meats. It melts well in gratins, baked pasta, and fondue, and pairs well with figs, honey, and balsamic vinegar. It is often confused with Parmigiano-Reggiano, a similar hard grating cheese made under stricter rules in a smaller, more restricted region, typically with longer aging.