Parmesan was known as early as 1348. In the writings of Boccaccio (in the Decameron), he invents a ‘mountain, all of grated Parmesan cheese’, on which ‘dwell folk that do nought else but make macaroni and ravioli, and boil them in capon’s broth, and then throw them down to be scrambled for; and hard by flows a rivulet of Vernaccia, the best that ever was drunk, and never a drop of water therein.’
During the Great Fire of London of 1666, Samuel Pepys buried his ‘Parmazan cheese, as well as his wine and some other things’ to preserve them. [Source: Wikipedia].
