Grana Padano is a cheese originating in the Po River Valley in northern Italy that is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. There are fewer regulations governing its production. This hard, crumbly-textured cheese is made with unpasteurized cow's milk that is semi-skimmed through a natural creaming process.

Grana Padano DOP is a hard, part-skim cheese. It originated in the Po Valley and is produced in Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino/Alto Adige, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. This cheese is made only from cow's milk and requires long aging (at least 9 months).