Cooking
For as long as I can remember I've heard that Parmigiano Reggiano was the king of cheeses. It's the cheese I ate in Italy and cooked with as well. It's the cheese I always buy. I knew about Grana Padano, but believed it was inferior to Parmigiano. A substitute. Poor man's Parmigiano. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
First of all, technically you could say Parmigiano is a type of Grana. Grana means grain and refers to the grainy texture of the cheese, and Padano refers to the region where it is produced. Parmigiano is produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. Grana is produced in Piedmont, Lombardy, Piacenza, Veneto, and Trentino. Both cheeses are lactose free and a good source of protein and calcium.
Because Grana uses more skim milk it is lower in fat and develops flavor more quickly than Parmigiano. I tasted and compared Grana Padano that was aged only 16-20 months and Parmigiano Reggiano that was aged 28-32 months. Here are my tasting notes:
Grana
Buttery, rich, sweet and mildly salty, nutty, creamy with a floral and fruity scent and a flaky, crunchy crystalline texture
Parmigiano
Very salty, rich, nutty, earthy, some crystalline crunchiness
The shocking verdict? I actually preferred the Grana! Because cheese is a natural and seasonal product there will be differences throughout the year. But I encourage you to do your own taste test. I no longer believe Grana is a more popular cheese in Italy only out of price considerations. I will still buy Parmigiano on occasion, but for day to day use, I'll be switching to Grana. Both cheeses can be used as a table cheese, grated over pasta, salad, in traditional risotto dishes and with roasted vegetables.
Recipes using Grana
Recipes using Parmigiano
Notes: I bought the Parmigiano from Rainbow Grocery, the Grana was provided for me and came from Di Palo Selects. The Grana is pictured on the left and the Parmigiano on the right.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Night & Giveaway!
Parmigiano Reggiano display at Eataly, NYC Last year I wrote about my visit to a Parmigiano cheese maker and about Parmigiano Reggiano Night. This year, Parmigiano Reggiano Night is happening again. I’ve written something...
- Bok Choy Salad Recipe
Recently I learned that bok choy is the number one vegetable in China. It seems to be the number one vegetable in my CSA box lately. It's a very healthy vegetable with a ton of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K plus and is even a good source of calcium...
- All About Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world and one of my favorites. It originally came from Somerset, in England but is now produced in many parts of the English speaking world and beyond. But only 14 makers are licensed to use the...
- Eggplant Parmesan Soup Recipe
I've started off this year eating more soup. It's amazing what can go in soup. I mean, pretty much anything. And many classic comfort food dishes can be transformed into soup. Macaroni and cheese, baked potato, even eggplant parmesan. I got...
- What I Brought Home From Switzerland
I'm back from Switzerland and I thought I'd share with you some of my most prized purchases. Not surprisingly my first purchase was cheese. But no ordinary cheese. In fact, it's a cheese I am hard pressed to find at home. It's called...
Cooking
Grana Padano
For as long as I can remember I've heard that Parmigiano Reggiano was the king of cheeses. It's the cheese I ate in Italy and cooked with as well. It's the cheese I always buy. I knew about Grana Padano, but believed it was inferior to Parmigiano. A substitute. Poor man's Parmigiano. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
First of all, technically you could say Parmigiano is a type of Grana. Grana means grain and refers to the grainy texture of the cheese, and Padano refers to the region where it is produced. Parmigiano is produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. Grana is produced in Piedmont, Lombardy, Piacenza, Veneto, and Trentino. Both cheeses are lactose free and a good source of protein and calcium.
| Grana * Produced in a large region * Less expensive than Parmigiano * Made from raw, skim milk * Cows fed grass, cereal & silage * Cows can be treated with antibiotics * Aged from 9 to 24 months and up * Natural preservative, lysozyme | Parmigiano * Produced in a small region * More expensive than Grana * Made from raw skim milk & whole milk * Cows fed grass & cereal * Cows not treated with antibiotics * Aged 24 months or more * Free of preservatives |
Because Grana uses more skim milk it is lower in fat and develops flavor more quickly than Parmigiano. I tasted and compared Grana Padano that was aged only 16-20 months and Parmigiano Reggiano that was aged 28-32 months. Here are my tasting notes:
Grana
Buttery, rich, sweet and mildly salty, nutty, creamy with a floral and fruity scent and a flaky, crunchy crystalline texture
Parmigiano
Very salty, rich, nutty, earthy, some crystalline crunchiness
The shocking verdict? I actually preferred the Grana! Because cheese is a natural and seasonal product there will be differences throughout the year. But I encourage you to do your own taste test. I no longer believe Grana is a more popular cheese in Italy only out of price considerations. I will still buy Parmigiano on occasion, but for day to day use, I'll be switching to Grana. Both cheeses can be used as a table cheese, grated over pasta, salad, in traditional risotto dishes and with roasted vegetables.
Recipes using Grana
Recipes using Parmigiano
Notes: I bought the Parmigiano from Rainbow Grocery, the Grana was provided for me and came from Di Palo Selects. The Grana is pictured on the left and the Parmigiano on the right.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Night & Giveaway!
Parmigiano Reggiano display at Eataly, NYC Last year I wrote about my visit to a Parmigiano cheese maker and about Parmigiano Reggiano Night. This year, Parmigiano Reggiano Night is happening again. I’ve written something...
- Bok Choy Salad Recipe
Recently I learned that bok choy is the number one vegetable in China. It seems to be the number one vegetable in my CSA box lately. It's a very healthy vegetable with a ton of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K plus and is even a good source of calcium...
- All About Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world and one of my favorites. It originally came from Somerset, in England but is now produced in many parts of the English speaking world and beyond. But only 14 makers are licensed to use the...
- Eggplant Parmesan Soup Recipe
I've started off this year eating more soup. It's amazing what can go in soup. I mean, pretty much anything. And many classic comfort food dishes can be transformed into soup. Macaroni and cheese, baked potato, even eggplant parmesan. I got...
- What I Brought Home From Switzerland
I'm back from Switzerland and I thought I'd share with you some of my most prized purchases. Not surprisingly my first purchase was cheese. But no ordinary cheese. In fact, it's a cheese I am hard pressed to find at home. It's called...