Parmigiano-Reggiano, also known in English as Parmesan, is a hard, cheese in granular form, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Province of Bologna(all in Emilia-Romagna), and Province of Mantova|Mantova (in Lombardia), Italy. Under Italian law, only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled "Parmigiano-Reggiano", while European law classifies the name as a protected designation of origin. Parmigiano is the Italian adjective for Parma. Reggiano is the Italian adjective for Reggio Emilia. The English name for the cheese Parmesan comes from the French name for it. The name Parmesan is also used for cheeses which imitate Parmigiano-Reggiano, with phrases such as "Italian hard cheese" adopted to skirt legal constraints. The closest legitimate Italian cheese to Parmigiano-Reggiano is Grana Padano.
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