Grana Padano has been a part of Italy’s proud gastronomic heritage for nearly 1000 years. Benedictine monks found a clever solution to preserve the surplus milk produced, by creating a hard cheese, which could withstand the test of time. Due to its grainy texture, it soon became known as “Grana”. In 1954, it was officially named “Grana Padano”, with “Padano” identifying the area of Production, the Pianura Padana (Po River Valley) in Northern Italy.

Grana Padano is an EU certified Protected Designation of Origin product since 1996. This ensures that it is exclusively linked to its production area, produced following traditional methods and inseparable from the climate, culture and people that create it. This also ensures its ultimate quality, authenticity and traceability.

A staple in Italian cuisine, it has become the world’s best-selling PDO cheese. It has a fine grainy structure and a mellow, tasty, yet never overpowering, flavour, and can be found aged between 9 months to over 24 months.

Grana Padano possesses unique nutritional features such as quality proteins, vitamins and mineral salts, especially calcium. It can be considered virtually lactose free due to the long ageing process.