✍️ The Decameron and the Celebration of Bengodi

The connection between Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron and Parmigiano Reggiano is a gem of gastronomic history, as the cheese receives an epic citation that testifies to its fame and prestige as early as the 14th century.

The Novella and the Year 1349

The Decameron was written by Boccaccio around 1349-1353. It is in this masterpiece that Parmigiano makes its most famous appearance, not as a simple food product, but as an integral part of a utopian dream.
The quote is found in Novella III of Day VIII, where Boccaccio describes the legendary Land of Bengodi. This land is the apotheosis of pleasure and abundance, a place where toil is banished and every wish is instantly fulfilled.

The Cheese Mountain 🧀

In his description of Bengodi, Boccaccio uses cheese as the ultimate symbol of wealth and hedonism:
> «And there was a mountain all made of grated Parmesan cheese, on which were people who did nothing else but make macaroni and ravioli and cook them in capon broth, and then they threw them down, and whoever caught the most, had the most.»
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The Historical Significance

This vivid image is not a random choice:

• Luxury Product Status : Boccaccio doesn't mention just any cheese, but "Parmigiano." This demonstrates that, by the mid-14th century, the cheese produced between Parma and Reggio (caseus parmensis) had already acquired such exceptional fame and commercial value that it was associated with luxury and opulence. It was known and coveted well beyond the Emilian borders, reaching as far as Florence, where Boccaccio wrote.
  
• Consumption Technique : The use of "grated" cheese on pasta testifies to the fact that the habit, which is familiar to us today, was already the prevalent way of using this mature, hard cheese, highlighting its grainy consistency and its ability to flavour dishes.
  
• Long-lasting : The association of Parmigiano with a utopian place of abundance implicitly underscores its fundamental characteristic: its long shelf life . While other foods perished quickly, parmesan cheese could be stored and consumed over time and space, making it the ideal food to represent the inexhaustible wealth of Bengodi.

In conclusion, the citation in the Decameron is not just a literary curiosity, but the most authoritative and affectionate historical acknowledgement of the popularity, quality, and established consumption of Parmigiano Reggiano over seven hundred years ago. It is proof that the cheese was already the "king" of the Italian table.