Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a grana, a hard, granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma and Reggio Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Parmigiano is simply the Italian adjective for Parma; the French version, parmesan, is used in English. The term parmesan is also loosely used as a common term for cheeses imitating true Parmesan cheese, especially outside Europe; within Europe, the Parmesan name is classified as a protected designation of origin. The generic name for this type of cheese is grana.