Società Agricola CortedelBoiardo
Organic Farm and
Parmigiano Reggiano
SlowFood presidium
We raise a limited number of cattle on extensive farm pasture like in the old times.
Società Agricola CortedelBoiardo, eccellenza biologica.
The Reggiana is a cattle breed representing the Italian strain of the "Red" breed—originally from Eastern Europe—raised in the province of Reggio Emilia.These cattle arrived in Italy during the period of the barbarian invasions, likely accompanying populations from Pannonia or regions even further east.
Thanks to the breed's hardiness and robustness, raising these cattle became common in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Parma—at least until the post-World War II era, when many breeders replaced the ancient breed with Friesian cattle due to the latter's higher daily milk yield.
By the 1980s, only about a thousand head of the Red breed remained in the province of Reggio Emilia. Consequently, the National Association of Reggiana Cattle Breeders (ANABoRaRe) was established to protect and safeguard the Red breed and its products.
Milk from the Red breed has a higher content of protein, casein, and calcium compared to milk from other dairy breeds, making it particularly suitable for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano.This superior quality is evident even during the pre-vat processing stages, characterized by better coagulation and improved fat separation. In the vat, the formation of uniform curds allows for processing at higher temperatures. During the aging process, the cheese also exhibits a lower tendency toward proteolysis, enabling longer maturation and resulting in a product that is easier to digest.