The production of this DOP or name-protected cheese is more heavily regulated than the stock market. By law, Parmigiano-Reggiano can only be produced in the provinces of Modena, Parma and Reggio-Emilia and can only be produced between April 15 and November 11 of any given year so that the milk used in the production process is from cows who have fed on the best grasses. The milk is brought in twice a day. The evening milk is put into troughs and left out overnight until the cream rises to the surface. The cream is removed (making skim milk), and whole milk from the morning is added to the skimmed milk. A curd is formed by adding starter whey from the previous day's production, and the curd is later cooked and poured into a wooden mold where it is bathed in a sea-salt brine. It is then aged for at least 12 months. The result is a 66-pound wheel of the world's greatest cheese: nutty, sharp and crumbly.

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