The Grana Padano cheese originated in the year 1000 in the heart of lower Lombardy: Cistercian monks of the abbey of Chiaravalle tried the recipe as a means of preserving milk produced in excess. Documents dating to the 12th century witness the creation of the first cheese-dairies for the production of a cheese from hard and grainy dough; in fact the word 'grain' (grana) was attributed to the cheese due to its original structure. The success of this cheese among the inhabitants of the Lombardy region resulted in the fast development of its production, while its great ability of preservation favoured its commercialisation in the nearby regions. The history of Grana goes on along the centuries: it can be found on the tables of the wonderful banquets of the Renaissance courts, but also in the years of great famine, when it became a fundamental support for the people living in the countryside. The productive techniques have been passed on through generations and have never been altered since, and even today, they are an assurance of the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of this cheese, which have transformed it in one of the most imitated and beloved cheeses in the world.

The quality mark identifies the perfect forms as authentic "Grana Padano". It appears on all packages of the grated and portioned cheese, a guarantee for the consumer that the cheese in the packages has obtained branding and can therefore legitimately bear the Protected Denomination of Origin "Grana Padano".

Outlined diamonds alternatively containing the words 'Grana' and 'Padano' are branded on the rind of the forms at origin. This mark, continuously repeated all around the form, permits the identification of Grana Padano even if sold in pieces.