The beautiful setting of the Locanda Dossello The cheese was extraordinarily good and we asked the friendly hotel staff what it was. 'Grana Padano' we were told. Creases appeared on our foreheads as we considered this - is it a type of parmesan, or something different. We liked it very much so clearly further investigation was in order.

Grana Padano is a hard Italian cheese made from cow's milk and aged for a minimum of 9 months. It originates from the provinces along the Po river valley, and its production is regulated by the Grana Padano Consortium. It's made from cow's milk, calf's rennet, and salt. Some Grana Padano cheeses, but not all, can also contain lysozyme

Parmigiano-Reggiano has Protected Designation of Origin status; Denominazione di Origine Protetta or DOP, in Italian. Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano, the two other popular Italian hard cheeses

Grana Padano, another esteemed Italian cheese, shares a similar heritage with Parmigiano Reggiano. It originates from the Po River Valley in Northern Italy and boasts a history that dates back nearly 1,000 years. Like Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano is crafted from raw cow's milk sourced from local dairy farms.

Grana Padano is a hard, flaky, aged Italian cheese that can be compared to Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Grana means grain in Italian and refers to the texture.) Grana tends to be less crumbly, milder, and less nuanced than Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is aged for a longer minimum time frame.

is grana padano like parmesan