Cutting Parmigiano Reggiano is a true art: it cannot be done with a common knife and with a light touch. It's almost a ritual, and to honor it, you need the right tools and proper care. So let's start by identifying the key tool for this operation: it's the famous almond knife, also called a "tagliagrana" (cheese cutter), which is a small knife characterized by a short, pointed blade in the shape of an almond, with one side thinner than the other to facilitate penetration into hard and semi-hard cheeses. The second clarification to make is about the correct verb to describe the action: a wheel of Parmigiano is not cut. It is much more accurate to say that it is opened. And by continuing to read, you'll understand why.
How to cut a wheel of Parmigiano into wedges
With the tip of the tagliagrana, draw a line that divides the wheel in half starting from one of the two flat sides, technically called the "piatto" of the wheel, then going across the "scalzo" (heel), the other "piatto", and again across the "scalzo" on the opposite side, to mark it on all sides. Then, repeatedly penetrate with the knife a few centimeters deep along the entire line to make it more defined. At this point, you will need 3 almond knives: two should be inserted at the ends of the circumference and the third in the center of the wheel. The 3 knives will act as wedges, and the Parmigiano will literally open in half, into two equal parts (if you were precise with the incision!). To get to your preferred wedge size, you will need to repeat the operation multiple times, each time opening the obtained half into two more halves using the same method.
How to cut Parmigiano into flakes
Once you've mastered the technique for cutting a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano into wedges, cutting the classic Parmigiano flakes will be a breeze: you just need to use the almond knife to break off flakes from the wedges, by inserting the tip into the cheese and leveraging it. The flakes obtained will be irregular, but with this type of cut, you will ensure that the cheese maintains its aroma and characteristic texture on the palate.
If you want to create thinner flakes to decorate a dish or garnish a recipe, then you can use a cheese slicer, a tool specifically designed to cut hard and semi-hard cheeses into thinner pieces.
You now know all the secrets to cutting Parmigiano: all that's left is to visit our shop and buy a wedge to flake!
