How Italy Protects a Thousand Years of Cheesemaking By the AgriLinkage Research TeamLast Updated: February 8, 2026 It takes 550 liters of milk to make a single 40-kilogram wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. That's roughly 14 liters per kilogram of cheese. The milk comes from cows that graze in specific provinces of Emilia-Romagna. The cheese is made using techniques perfected in the 12th century by Benedictine and Cistercian monks. It must age for at least 12 months before it can