Parmesan cheese

[sparkythecat]

Whenever I go to an Italian restaurant, the parmesan cheese is fragrant and tasty. Unfortunately the stuff I buy from supermarkets always seems bland and tasteless by comparison.
So, what's the difference?
Do Italian waiters keep it their old socks to give it added flavour, or is there a brand of parmesan I'm missing out on?

[Ayahuasca]

Do you buy the ready grated stuff? If so it will be horrible.

Parmesan is the king of cheeses, but buy a big wedge of it and grate it yourself if you want it grated.

[sherman]

Parmigiano-Reggiano is what you want not just Parmesan.

[Ayahuasca]

It should look like this. It will have little crystallised bits in it. Yummy.

[EarlOfHazard]

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

[mr momo]

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

With a glass of italian red…

[Doofus]

mr momo said:

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

With a glass of italian red…

So don'teat it on its own then.

[PH User]

mr momo said:

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

With a glass of italian red…

Mmm yes, love cheese and red wine

[AndyAudi]

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

I attack the block with a veg parer!

[21TonyK]

AndyAudi said:

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

I attack the block with a veg parer!

Even bogo supermarket Parmigiano Reggiano is DOP so perfectly nice. I can dispose of a reasonable quantity combined with enough wine. Cut a little thicker than with a peeler for "full effect".

That and smoked aged cheddar!

[zetec]

mr momo said:

EarlOfHazard said:

Eat it on its own, cut it to thin slivers..

With a glass of italian red…

Like a nice Chianti.....

Thththth

[Morvan]

Ayahuasca said:

Parmesan is the king of cheeses.

Only in Italy. In France the King of cheeses is Roquefort.

[sparkythecat]

sherman said:

Parmigiano-Reggiano is what you want not just Parmesan.

Well it looks as though I've been buying the right stuff, so perhaps I'm not storing it properly. The opened pack usually goes in Tupperware in the fridge between uses.
Is that the right thing to do?

[sherman]

A proper sealed tupperware will have too much condensation in it. Cheese doesnt do well in a wet enviroment.
I have a cheese preserver box for the fridge like the one below. It lets the cheese breathe
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/5073/Tefal-Cheese-Prese...

[PH User]

Cheese has more flavour when it's not straight from the fridge, so leave it out for a bit before eating.

[Morvan]

Alternatively get a garde manger, mine is on the wall in a shady part of the kitchen, I store cheeses, cured meats, hams, herbs etc. Stuff that shouldn't be anywhere near a fridge.

https://www.megasmartj.com/index.php?main_page=pro...

[RobbieTheTruth]

Morvan said:

Alternatively get a garde manger, mine is on the wall in a shady part of the kitchen, I store cheeses, cured meats, hams, herbs etc. Stuff that shouldn't be anywhere near a fridge.

https://www.megasmartj.com/index.php?main_page=pro...

Ham would last about 4 hours in one of those on a hot summers day.

[Regbuser]

Not true young Robbie,
My grand parents had a sunken north facing larder with a marble sink and top, with cages such as this to store preserved meats and cheeses.
They lived near old Harlow, and operated it until the mid 90's with no ill effects.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Morvan said:

Only in Italy. In France the King of cheeses is Roquefort.

Cave dwelling peasant muck, tastes like battery acid (it was an accident before you ask).

Even some cheap Grana Padano (which a lot of restaurants serve as parmesan due to cost) at the correct temperature will taste better than anything straight from the fridge.
Half the stuff people put in fridges shouldn't be in there, as someone who doesn't own a fridge I'm well aware of how long things keep.

[zygalski]

Bacon Is Proof said:

...as someone who doesn't own a fridge I'm well aware of how long things keep.

Anyone else think that's just plain fking weird?

As for me, the Parmesan just gets wrapped in cling film & chucked in the fridge. It never lasts more than a few days after opening anyhow.
None of this warming to room temperature between the thighs of a virgin from Bologna for me.

Edited by zygalski on Wednesday 9th June 08:21