SAL AURIEMMA, owner of Claudio King of Cheese in the Italian Market, knows a phony when he sees one. And as important as that may be when it comes to people, Auriemma really gets his dander up when the counterfeit is Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
"Saying cheese that's made in Hungary or Wisconsin is Parmigiano Reggiano should be illegal!" said Auriemma, clearly outraged. Parmigiano Reggiano – a strong and slightly salty Italian cheese prized for its distinctive texture, aroma and taste – can only come from the Parma region north of Milan, Italy, the same rich farmland that produces true Prosciutto di Parma ham and Lambrusco wine.
Phony Parmigiano is illegal in the European Union, thanks to a 2008 ruling that cheese makers other than those in designated Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of Bologna and Mantova can no longer call their cheese "parmesan" because "parmesan" is not a generic term. True Parmigiano Reggiano must be produced in its Protected Designation of Origin, or PDO region, under strict controls and practices that date back a thousand years, when Benedictine monks along the Po River first created the salty cheese to preserve milk.
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