This world-famous cheese owes its name partly to the grainy texture (Grana) and the region of origin around the valley of the Po River (Padano) in northern Italy. It was the Cistercian monks who introduced this cheese, based on semi-skimmed raw cow's milk, almost 1000 years ago. For a cheese weighing an average of 35 kg, about 540 liters of cow's milk are needed, and the cheese requires a minimum aging of 9 months to be called Grana Padano, and around 15 months it has the renowned full flavor and texture.
The Grana is marked on the yellow-brown rind with a diamond-shaped branded logo and indicates the place of origin. The entire process of the Grana Padano is controlled by the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano. This cheese is often confused with the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, as there are many similarities between these cheeses, but in terms of price per kilo, the Grana Padano is considerably more affordable.