The aroma fraction of Parmesan cheese was studied on 21 samples of certified origin and aging. Volatile compounds were isolated using the dynamic headspace and simultaneous distillation-extraction techniques and analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS. A total of 167 compounds were identified: hydrocarbons (23), aldehydes (19), ketones (19), alcohols (29), esters (24),and acids (25) are the prevalent classes of substances. With the headspace technique the most volatile compounds were sampled, whereas the distillation-extraction technique was Suitable even for long-chain carbonyl derivatives, acids, esters, and lactones, which are known to be important components of the flavor. In addition, free fatty acids and the volatile products of the lactic fermentation (ethanol, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, and acetoin) were determined.