Same here in the States. We have great cheese makers in Wisconsin and Vermont, but there's nothing like Pecorino Romano or Reggiano Parmigiano imported from Italy.
@@BTMovieSecondChannel Maybe not Gouda, but there are cheeses made in Netherlands that come very very close to the Italian cheeses also, I forgot the names, but I can buy them here in Serbia actually. Also aged 36 months etc. I prefer these over the Italian here, because the Italian ones come pre packed like in this video, but the Dutch ones I can buy straight from the wheel, which I not only prefer, but also makes it a lot less expensive.
I never write comments but you sir are a fantastic teacher and provider of love in food. Something i have had as a kid too. Remembering watching your Amatriciana and start smiling again! Greatings and love from the Netherlands!
Good quality grana is a great heavy lifting cheese for things like pesto or ravioli filling or whatever. You save a few dollars and don't compromise much in other ways.
For a long time, I did not think I liked Parmesan cheese because when I had what my mum told me was Parmesan cheese on my spaghetti bolognese (I know, I know) it tasted and smelt like vomit. It turns out she had been using some "grated Italian-style cheese" from a supermarket... I made some bolognese (using the recipe on this channel from David from Bologna) brought myself some actual Parmesan cheese (and p[appardelle pasta) and actually enjoyed it.
When I have a choice, my rule of thumb for some years has been to buy Parmigiano Reggiano that is aged for 18 months or more. Though I don't think I have had one of over 30 months. Based on this little test, I think that rule of thumb has served me well.
Well done! And good news for me. Now I will buy both the Gran Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano when it's on offer. I have 150 grams of a 12 month Parmigiano in the fridge. Not for long though 🥰
holy shit! do you get them directly from producers (or with some specialized intermediary)? Even in Italy in the supermarkets the most you generally find is 36 months
You are lucky that I am not there otherwise I would have smuggled a Sbrinz cheese under the other 🧀 Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your video with us.
I live in the UK. I’m English, but we get all our olive oil and pecorino from very small Italian family organic estate. They don’t do parmigiana. But we now have many many online Italian shops in the UK. Lucky to be able to buy guanciale, and many other authentic Mediterranean delights.
What a coincidence! A co-worker asked me (as half-Italian) if I would taste blind the difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano (here in Switzerland you won't find Parmesan Cheese). I told him that I would taste it if the aging is different. If the aging is the same, it would be hard. So gratulation for your result! I don't know if I would taste the difference so good if the aging is nearly the same (like 12 month Parmigiano Reggiano and 16 month Grana Padano). in my opinion, Grana Padano is also a very good cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano is normally more expensive because the brand is known better (so you pay also for the brand). And it is easier to find older Parmigiano Reggiano with 36+ months aging than Grana Padano with this aging. So the aging is important for the price. Most important: don't save money in ingredients!
The standards of Parmigiano Reggiano are higer ... the milk has to be from a certain region (Emilia-Romagna), the food for the cows is exactly specified and there is no Lysozyme for conservation allowed. Apart from that, the process is very similar and the regional limits have not a lot to do with quality ... as most of the cows never see a pasture in their whole life. You could make the exact same cheese in a neighbouring region of Italy, when keeping to the same standards - as cows in a closed barn do not care, where the barn is located.
@richymoto Brazzale is an Italian company making GP style cheese in the Czech Republic using the exact method as Italians do, but due to the legislation and DOP laws, they can not call it Grana Padano or Reggiano. Try it if you can as it's cheaper and just as good! 🇦🇺🇮🇹
Love the video vincenzo love your content your a amazing UA-camr I love watching your videos they are the greatest and the best and the coolest all tne cheeses looks so yummy and delicious my favourite would be 40 months but I will try the others too you can never go wrong with cheese
As someone originally from the “Lodigiano” I’m proud of Grana Padano and glad of how well it scored, I always say that Grana Padano is underrated overseas. Also from memory it’s about 10$ in Coles/Woolies
You were spot on with every cheese, you have a very educated palate. At $21 for a 200g block, the 40 month aged is a crazy price. At the end of the day, it's just a big jug of cows milk.
I used to work in Wisconsin and that is the cheese state and one of the guys I worked with used to bring in cheese sample trays and you can get good cheese in the US but it's something you have to have access to.
We are lucky in the USA to get real Italian 36 month Parmigiano Reggiano from Costco in solid and shredded for a very reasonable price. I have bought both but usually get the shredded for the convenience. We use it all the time. Almost every cheese is great in it's own way.
Ich lebe in Deutschland. Und geriebener Käse ( vor allem dieser Kotz „ Parmesan „ Pulver in einer Dose) ist auch hier relativ günstig. Aber wenn man was gutes will , dann kauft man ein echtes Stückchen Käse und reibt es selbst. Dann weiß man , dass was gutes aufm Teller landet.
@@LuckyBaby1239 OK, but the shredded parm at our Costco is not a "powder in can" but the same guaranteed cheese from Italy as the solid cuts. You can tell by the taste. I get both regularly and it depends on what I am making to decide which I prefer when cooking.
@@90Beater ok. But you can Never know what Parts of cheese were shredded. Often they shred the inedible outside Parts too. Parmesan powder is just a powder, its made of Cheese , yes , but its a Junk.. I Like it sometimes too, but i know , that is not a good cheese. Shredded cheese ( in bigger Parts) , like for Pizza or Lasagne is okay. But still - if you want a real cheese enjoyment - buy a small Part of cheese and shred it by yourself. Parmesan and Mozarella - above all , by those types - companies are ripping us off, if we buy shredded variety.. But, To be honest, I also buy it because it is more convenient to cook and doesn't cost that much.
I'd love to see a video on blind tasting the pre-made fresh pastas from the supermarket. Also have a good quality dry pasta and a fresh home made pasta added in as comparisons, but the main theme is deciding how good the premade fresh pasta is overall. E.g fresh pasta brands such as San Remo, Latina, a local artisan company etc, vs home made and La Molisana as a dry.
Good video to learn how important the aging process is for myself. The cheaper Grana Padano just held up because of that, even though the real deal ofc runs away with the higher quality combined with higher aging.
I'm still amazed at Costco's contract with their supplier in Emilia-Romagna. Right off the wheel, 24 month aged, for either $11.99 or $12.99 per pound ($26 per kilo). The one observation I have is that Costco's order has the cheese vacuum sealed for delivery. All of these cheeses were in regular plastic wraps. I like your reviews, Vincenzo. A good assortment to evaluate. Btw, did you eat bread in between tastings to remove previous cheese test from your mouth? 😅
Glad to hear that you can find good cheese at reasonable price at Costco! Thank you for you support ❤ I used water between every cheese to clean my palate 😊
@@vincenzosplate here in Serbia LIDL is best place to buy cheeses, Pecorino Romano DOP is under 6 euros for 200g and Gorgonzola Piccante DOP is under 4 euros also for 200g
Impressive blind tasting! Good video! I am not surprised you liked the Grana Padano. I rather buy a good Grana Padano for less than an overpriced/"bad" (packaged) Parmigiano Reggiano. But I am very surprised about the two Australian Parmesan tbh. I've never tried these, but I have tried enough American Parmesan that I rather pass and not eat Parmesan when I am in the US. It seems Australia does things a lot better than the US when it comes to local Parmesan.
I use a 36 month matured Parmegiano Reggiano that I can get in my local supermarket here in Denmark. It's amazing. Zanetti brand is fine, but pretty generic compaired to it. It's cost is about 12 austalian dollars, but i do think the 21 australian dollars you pay for the 40 month matured one is heavily effected by transport costs to Australia.
On my last trip to Italy & France I was surprised to experience how superior French cheese was over Italian. The aged Parmesan were especially better. More aromatic, more subtle flavour, higher quality productions.
These are the nicest words I heard from Vincenzo towards Grana Padano. In Czechia we have also Gran Moravia (also from the Grana family), also great cheese. Still the sheep Pecorino variety is my favourite of them all.
Hi there fellow CZ :) Even though Gran Moravia is good cheese pricing is way off. Generally it is more expensive then Parmigiano Reggiano 24 DOP from Lidl (Aldi) inhouse brand Italiamo. And when you taste these two side by side winner is very clear at least for me.
Obliviously tasting a small cube will reveal a lot more texture differences. I'm curious if you could differentiate the differences if just grated onto pasta.
If it's just comparing the saltiness, it wouldn't really mean anything though. If you're adding a more salty ingredient, you'll tend to add less salt from the other ingredients and vice versa. To make a fair comparison, it's gotta be salt normalised somehow and that's not going to be easy.
raw milk cheese in the US is required to be aged for 60 days or longer. since most common cheese styles in the US are fairly young, domestic cheese made with raw milk is not super common to find and its availability is limited to specialty cheese shops, high end grocers with a real nice cheese section, or hippie/health food type grocery stores. in most grocery stores the only cheeses made with raw milk are imported, aged cheeses with PDO certification, like parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, or real deal dutch gouda.
@@tobus71 Yep. I visited Europe for a few weeks and never got sick from any food. Delicious milk products, AND meat products we’d never see in the U.S.
Great video. We get the Zanetti here (the Grane Padano) in supermarkets. Not cheap but very good. Anything better and you need to go to a specialty shop.
It's simple. real parmegiano and pecorino is solty but doesn't taste like raw salt it taste a little fermented. I truly recomand real parmegiano but if your budget is slim try the Liddle DOP one. In Romania is 4 €/200g but is crazy close to the real one. Parmegiano usually is available every time but pecorino they usually have it only during Italian week
In Belgium, and most of Europe, you can only call the cheese the actual name if it’s DOP. That means the cheese has it’s origin protected. Whether it’s Parmigiano Regiano, Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano, once the name is on the package, you know it’s the real deal
Don't know if my comment posted, so one more try: in the EU, if the package says "Parmesan" it also has to be original PARMIGIANO REGGIANO. EDIT: lol ofc the app nowshows both comments.
@@slavplaysgames I get that from PRESS RELEASE No 11/08 regarding a Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-132/05, Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of Germany "Only cheeses bearing the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Parmigiano Reggiano' can be sold under the name ‘Parmesan' "; ergo every "Parmesan" must be the real deal in the EU.
Here in the US, if it says "parmesan," it's pasteurized, it's made from cow's milk, and has been aged at least 10 months. It's also produced in wheels like in Emilia-Romagna. It's also got requirements for moisture levels (maximum of 32% water) and milkfats (minimum of 32% in the solids, or about 22% overall). If it's labeled parmigiana Reggiano, it _must_ be Italian and follow the DOP rules.
@@vincenzosplate It really depends on what I'm doing with it! To add to a pasta after I've served it, I'll use generic American "parmesan" because it's kind of a comfort food, especially if I've had to make the sauce on the bland side for people who don't have salt cravings as intense as mine (or if I have to use jar sauce). Sometimes I'll grate or shave a little of the good imported stuff, if it's a good and flavorful sauce like puttanesca. When I make cacio e pepe, it's gotta be pecorino romano; for carbonara, it's a mix of grana padano and parmigiana Reggiano. (Assuming I can find grana padano or pecorino romano; it's not a guarantee that I can in this part of the country.) I use mozzarella and ricotta in my lasagna (along with some parmesan) and I use mozzarella and a bit of Parmesan to top baked Italian dishes. And then there are all my other uses of cheese! I am in America, after all, so I use Mexican cheeses in Mexican food, American cheeses like, well, American cheese and Vermont, Wisconsin, and New York cheddar in American cheese dishes such as a proper grilled cheese (usually good quality deli American cheese, for the melt, along with a slice of cheddar) or macaroni and cheese. (And, yes, I do sometimes use Velveeta, because the emulsifiers in it make cheeses that don't want to melt very melty indeed.)
I recently discovered Zanetti's pre-grated parmigiano reggiano. No anti-caking agent! It's been perfect for mixing into pasta sauces and it's about the same price by volume as the non-grated stuff.
Best thing living in nizza(nice) is that we get everything french and italian , nice used to be part of italy under kingdom of Savoy so it's mixed culture even today so we get the best cheese from the best two cheese country's
In my country we can only find latteria soresina and granarolo cheese. They are far better than local cheeses, but not sure how good they are compared with other italian cheeses.
The difference between authentic, fresh-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the pre-grated "Parmesan style" cheese is significant. The authentic cheese is worth the extra money and grating it yourself, especially if you make your own tomato sauce. Go the extra mile and get the real deal.
If you are on a budget, just get 18-24 months old Grana Padano. It is not super premium Permegiano Regiano, but it cost half the price for 90% of flavour. And it is like 10x better then all the grated "Parmesan sprinklers".
There is 1-2 euros in the price difference between that and similar aged and weight parmigiano. It is completely pointless buying GP because the taste of parmigiano is far superior. GP is fine but it lacks something and isn't quite as good, for the price difference it is absolutely not worth buying the slightly cheaper GP.
Vincenzo, a question. If you bought the 6 month aged Australian parmesan (or an American equivalent) could you age it at home and make a fuller, more authentic flavored parmigiano? I understand that aging cheese requires a specific controlled environment of temperature and humidity (and patience!), but was curious if a middle range parmesan with good flavor would be enhanced by longer aging. Really enjoyed the video!
Hey, does anyone know who makes the Parmesan cheese for Panera Bread? My wife had a chicken Caesar salad and it had a significant quantity of shaved parm on the salad. I tried it and it was really really good cheese. Surprised me actually as I was expecting something along the lines of the garbage and sawdust that Kraft sells in the green shaker can.
All cheese is expensive in NZ. Cheaper local parmesan adds flavor to cheese sauces, the others are too "ouch" expensive and I reserve to grate over pastas and select salads. I prefer peccorino romano, but lately it has vanished from stores where I live.
@@vincenzosplate I'm hoarding my small remaining pecorino supply and using Parmigiano Regigano for all but the best dishes. It's almost as good. When I next make the rare long drive to Auckland, I hope to nab some pecorino.
Vincenzo, we say Parmigiano reggiano is made, not produced; this because it is not an industrial made product. The milk is not pasteurized and has to be fresh from the day before, while all the other look alike could use pasteurized milk that would be reactivated with the addition of enzymes. This is the biggest and main difference.
My favorite will always be the one my family was making, but it’s 10 years they stopped…The best one you could find is the one made with only the milk of the Reggiana cow breed, possibly aged no less than 30 months
I've had to ask others to get me some Parmigiano Reggiano and they've come back with a block of Parmesan aged less than a year and they wonder why I get upset with them. I've tried making them do a taste test with 3 year aged cheese vs the stuff they brought me but they don't seem to taste a difference and claim they saved me money and it tastes the same. NO IT DOESN'T! The worst is if I get a bag of oily Kraft shredded cheese or dehydrated flakes in a can. Another massive pet peeve is people who don't know heavy cream from coffee cream or milk. I prefer to do all the shopping but sometimes I forget things so it's my fault.
@@vincenzosplate It would depend on how much you need for the taste test. Also, you could do like a wine testing and spit it out. I thought you would do that for the olive oil, to be honest - imagine my surprise when you went through 10-ish olive oil and swallowing it all. I imagine that was not very pleasant...
The Grana I can buy has egg as an ingredient, which seems weird. I have recently found that parmigiana aged for under 30 months tastes unbearably sweet. Useful video.
Hi Vincenzo, great video once again. Hey I'd love to see your take on a spirali con verdura.... as I know it's mushroom, broccoli, roasted capsicum, chilli, red onion, garlic, cream & passata. Would rather see a professional do it before I try. Another recipe you could add
I'm surprised that Grana Padano is supposed to be cheaper than Parmigiano Reggiano, because it's usually a bit more expensive here in Canada. It could be because it's less well-known, and so it has the impression of being more exotic?
Aged 40 months spots ... A little bit like my skin....Aged but over 40 years... haha 😂😂 Love it... Oh and the best....Matures with age ...Just taste and see .. 😂❤
"you know that cheese is beautiful, no matter what cheese you have". Wonderful words, and so true!
Glad you agree with me on this one 😊
@@vincenzosplate come to france then !!! :D
When it comes to cheese I'm so happy to be in the EU where we can buy really good cheese imported straight from Italy at affordable prices.
Or you could just buy your local cheeses
Same here in the States. We have great cheese makers in Wisconsin and Vermont, but there's nothing like Pecorino Romano or Reggiano Parmigiano imported from Italy.
The perks of living in Europe❤
@@foetusdeletus6313In case of the Netherlands, they are way different in texture and taste. Gouda cheese is awesome but just a different beast.
@@BTMovieSecondChannel Maybe not Gouda, but there are cheeses made in Netherlands that come very very close to the Italian cheeses also, I forgot the names, but I can buy them here in Serbia actually. Also aged 36 months etc. I prefer these over the Italian here, because the Italian ones come pre packed like in this video, but the Dutch ones I can buy straight from the wheel, which I not only prefer, but also makes it a lot less expensive.
I never write comments but you sir are a fantastic teacher and provider of love in food. Something i have had as a kid too. Remembering watching your Amatriciana and start smiling again! Greatings and love from the Netherlands!
I do love Grana Padano, it's definitely up there.
It's such a good cheese! 😊
Good quality grana is a great heavy lifting cheese for things like pesto or ravioli filling or whatever. You save a few dollars and don't compromise much in other ways.
Thanks for sharing your experience with grana padano! 😊
That is my go-to. Economy and all... -_-
For a long time, I did not think I liked Parmesan cheese because when I had what my mum told me was Parmesan cheese on my spaghetti bolognese (I know, I know) it tasted and smelt like vomit. It turns out she had been using some "grated Italian-style cheese" from a supermarket...
I made some bolognese (using the recipe on this channel from David from Bologna) brought myself some actual Parmesan cheese (and p[appardelle pasta) and actually enjoyed it.
Now you know what the real deal is my friend! I hope you stay tuned for more cooking tips and recipes! 😊
The intro made me laugh. I look forward to the future adventures of the Blindfolded Taste Buster!
Hahah stay tuned, more interesting blindfolded adventures are coming 😊
When I have a choice, my rule of thumb for some years has been to buy Parmigiano Reggiano that is aged for 18 months or more. Though I don't think I have had one of over 30 months. Based on this little test, I think that rule of thumb has served me well.
Ah, beautiful parmigiano, our waitrose does a pretty decent slice, a few drops of traditional balsamic and it's one of life's great pleasures.
Makes me happy to hear that you have found a delicious parmigiano that you can enjoy👨🍳🧀
Well done! And good news for me. Now I will buy both the Gran Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano when it's on offer. I have 150 grams of a 12 month Parmigiano in the fridge. Not for long though 🥰
Let me know what you'll think if their taste and which one you'll like best! 😊
Wow. Good palate sir. You could tell the difference between 30 and 40 months. Impressive.
Thank you 😄
I think the texture will have helped more than anything. The 40 months will have felt drier in the mouth than the 30 month
There were a lot more salt crystals on the 40mth cheese, I think it probably felt a lot crispier.
I just order 40,60,72 and 84 months Parmigiano Regigano cheese in 2.2 kg each!! Can't wait for the delivery, the 84 is very limited!!
Wow. How much did that cost you?
Wow that has ti be some high quality parmigiano! Enjoy ky friend, and let me know what you'll think of its taste 😊
holy shit! do you get them directly from producers (or with some specialized intermediary)? Even in Italy in the supermarkets the most you generally find is 36 months
do you mean 2.2 pounds each? 1 kg - 2.2 lbs
You are lucky that I am not there otherwise I would have smuggled a Sbrinz cheese under the other 🧀
Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your video with us.
I wish you were there Frederick
I live in the UK. I’m English, but we get all our olive oil and pecorino from very small Italian family organic estate. They don’t do parmigiana. But we now have many many online Italian shops in the UK. Lucky to be able to buy guanciale, and many other authentic Mediterranean delights.
What an awesome video. I'm not discouraged from a 20-25$ 40 months aged cheese for important occasions!
Same here! Especially when it's worth the price 😊
Great testing, bravo!!!
I hope to see more of this, very interesting, thank you!!!
What a coincidence! A co-worker asked me (as half-Italian) if I would taste blind the difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano (here in Switzerland you won't find Parmesan Cheese). I told him that I would taste it if the aging is different. If the aging is the same, it would be hard.
So gratulation for your result! I don't know if I would taste the difference so good if the aging is nearly the same (like 12 month Parmigiano Reggiano and 16 month Grana Padano).
in my opinion, Grana Padano is also a very good cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano is normally more expensive because the brand is known better (so you pay also for the brand). And it is easier to find older Parmigiano Reggiano with 36+ months aging than Grana Padano with this aging. So the aging is important for the price.
Most important: don't save money in ingredients!
The standards of Parmigiano Reggiano are higer ... the milk has to be from a certain region (Emilia-Romagna), the food for the cows is exactly specified and there is no Lysozyme for conservation allowed. Apart from that, the process is very similar and the regional limits have not a lot to do with quality ... as most of the cows never see a pasture in their whole life. You could make the exact same cheese in a neighbouring region of Italy, when keeping to the same standards - as cows in a closed barn do not care, where the barn is located.
@richymoto Brazzale is an Italian company making GP style cheese in the Czech Republic using the exact method as Italians do, but due to the legislation and DOP laws, they can not call it Grana Padano or Reggiano. Try it if you can as it's cheaper and just as good! 🇦🇺🇮🇹
The brand I get is Castelli . That's produced in Northern Italy in the Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna areas. Its really good
Thanks for sharing your favorite parmigiano! 😊
Love the video vincenzo love your content your a amazing UA-camr I love watching your videos they are the greatest and the best and the coolest all tne cheeses looks so yummy and delicious my favourite would be 40 months but I will try the others too you can never go wrong with cheese
Excellent choice my friend! The 40 months old cheese is totally worth the money 😊
As someone originally from the “Lodigiano” I’m proud of Grana Padano and glad of how well it scored, I always say that Grana Padano is underrated overseas. Also from memory it’s about 10$ in Coles/Woolies
Great job on not being fooled by cheese, Vincenzo! Bellisimo!
Glad you took my advice to do a blind taste test this time.
You were spot on with every cheese, you have a very educated palate. At $21 for a 200g block, the 40 month aged is a crazy price. At the end of the day, it's just a big jug of cows milk.
the new intro is awesome i love it !
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the new intro😄 What did you think of the rest of the video?
@@vincenzosplate i loved it as always never miss a single video of yours
Vincenzo had a cheese date! Great video!
😂😂 and he enjoyed it a lot
I used to work in Wisconsin and that is the cheese state and one of the guys I worked with used to bring in cheese sample trays and you can get good cheese in the US but it's something you have to have access to.
We are lucky in the USA to get real Italian 36 month Parmigiano Reggiano from Costco in solid and shredded for a very reasonable price. I have bought both but usually get the shredded for the convenience. We use it all the time.
Almost every cheese is great in it's own way.
Ich lebe in Deutschland. Und geriebener Käse ( vor allem dieser Kotz „ Parmesan „ Pulver in einer Dose) ist auch hier relativ günstig. Aber wenn man was gutes will , dann kauft man ein echtes Stückchen Käse und reibt es selbst. Dann weiß man , dass was gutes aufm Teller landet.
@@LuckyBaby1239 OK, but the shredded parm at our Costco is not a "powder in can" but the same guaranteed cheese from Italy as the solid cuts. You can tell by the taste. I get both regularly and it depends on what I am making to decide which I prefer when cooking.
@@90Beater ok. But you can Never know what Parts of cheese were shredded. Often they shred the inedible outside Parts too. Parmesan powder is just a powder, its made of Cheese , yes , but its a Junk.. I Like it sometimes too, but i know , that is not a good cheese.
Shredded cheese ( in bigger Parts) , like for Pizza or Lasagne is okay.
But still - if you want a real cheese enjoyment - buy a small Part of cheese and shred it by yourself.
Parmesan and Mozarella - above all , by those types - companies are ripping us off, if we buy shredded variety..
But, To be honest, I also buy it because it is more convenient to cook and doesn't cost that much.
Thank you! This has opened my eyes so clearly! Thank you Chef Vincenzo 🔝🙏🏼❤️🇮🇹
You're welcome my friend! Stay tuned for more similar videos! 😊
Thank you for the video and the information! Also, love the shirt :)
I'd love to see a video on blind tasting the pre-made fresh pastas from the supermarket. Also have a good quality dry pasta and a fresh home made pasta added in as comparisons, but the main theme is deciding how good the premade fresh pasta is overall. E.g fresh pasta brands such as San Remo, Latina, a local artisan company etc, vs home made and La Molisana as a dry.
Good video to learn how important the aging process is for myself. The cheaper Grana Padano just held up because of that, even though the real deal ofc runs away with the higher quality combined with higher aging.
My guy out here eating parmesan by the chunk. That alone deserves an award
I'm still amazed at Costco's contract with their supplier in Emilia-Romagna. Right off the wheel, 24 month aged, for either $11.99 or $12.99 per pound ($26 per kilo). The one observation I have is that Costco's order has the cheese vacuum sealed for delivery. All of these cheeses were in regular plastic wraps.
I like your reviews, Vincenzo. A good assortment to evaluate. Btw, did you eat bread in between tastings to remove previous cheese test from your mouth? 😅
Glad to hear that you can find good cheese at reasonable price at Costco!
Thank you for you support ❤ I used water between every cheese to clean my palate 😊
@@vincenzosplate Their Pecorino Romano is very good as well and also a great value here in the US.
I got a 30 month-aged at Costco for $24.99/Kg in Canada. It’s sooo good.
@@vincenzosplate here in Serbia LIDL is best place to buy cheeses, Pecorino Romano DOP is under 6 euros for 200g and Gorgonzola Piccante DOP is under 4 euros also for 200g
Impressive blind tasting! Good video! I am not surprised you liked the Grana Padano. I rather buy a good Grana Padano for less than an overpriced/"bad" (packaged) Parmigiano Reggiano.
But I am very surprised about the two Australian Parmesan tbh. I've never tried these, but I have tried enough American Parmesan that I rather pass and not eat Parmesan when I am in the US.
It seems Australia does things a lot better than the US when it comes to local Parmesan.
I use a 36 month matured Parmegiano Reggiano that I can get in my local supermarket here in Denmark. It's amazing. Zanetti brand is fine, but pretty generic compaired to it. It's cost is about 12 austalian dollars, but i do think the 21 australian dollars you pay for the 40 month matured one is heavily effected by transport costs to Australia.
On my last trip to Italy & France I was surprised to experience how superior French cheese was over Italian. The aged Parmesan were especially better. More aromatic, more subtle flavour, higher quality productions.
There is no Parmesan in France that is not from Italy. What are u even talking about...
Beautiful review 🤩
Happy you enjoyed it! Which parmigiano regiano brand is your go to?
Your palate was on point for this, which was no surprise👍 The real deal is best, but I'd happily snack on the others😊
Same here! With some hoeny on top they all would be fantastic, but for my pasta I want the best! 🧀😄
Thank you Vincenzo you Rock.
What I learned is: it is hard vor a cheese lover to rate cheese. 😂 But nice result over all. Nice video as always.
These are the nicest words I heard from Vincenzo towards Grana Padano. In Czechia we have also Gran Moravia (also from the Grana family), also great cheese. Still the sheep Pecorino variety is my favourite of them all.
Hi there fellow CZ :) Even though Gran Moravia is good cheese pricing is way off. Generally it is more expensive then Parmigiano Reggiano 24 DOP from Lidl (Aldi) inhouse brand Italiamo. And when you taste these two side by side winner is very clear at least for me.
I will try to find a cheese made in Czechia my friend! 😊
Obliviously tasting a small cube will reveal a lot more texture differences. I'm curious if you could differentiate the differences if just grated onto pasta.
The 40 month aged parmigiano is more salty and has a deeper flavor so I'm sure I would recognize it in the pasta!
If it's just comparing the saltiness, it wouldn't really mean anything though. If you're adding a more salty ingredient, you'll tend to add less salt from the other ingredients and vice versa. To make a fair comparison, it's gotta be salt normalised somehow and that's not going to be easy.
Here in the U.S., can we even get a cheese made with unpasteurized milk? Everyone is so afraid of getting sued for milk issues😡
raw milk cheese in the US is required to be aged for 60 days or longer. since most common cheese styles in the US are fairly young, domestic cheese made with raw milk is not super common to find and its availability is limited to specialty cheese shops, high end grocers with a real nice cheese section, or hippie/health food type grocery stores. in most grocery stores the only cheeses made with raw milk are imported, aged cheeses with PDO certification, like parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, or real deal dutch gouda.
It's okay, you can get flavorful and great quality of cheese even with pasteurized milk 😊
Yes, imported cheeses are often made from unpasteurized milk. If it's labeled Parmigiana Reggiano it _must_ follow EU DOP rules.
My parents and their friends grew up in Europe, i asked them if they ever heard of someone getting sick from raw milk etc, they said never.
@@tobus71 Yep. I visited Europe for a few weeks and never got sick from any food. Delicious milk products, AND meat products we’d never see in the U.S.
Zanetti Grana Padano is superb. Has a good aftertaste.
Parmesão, o Rei dos Queijos, 🧀👑Maestro Cuca Vicenzo!!👨🍳🍽🍷
😀👍
Thanks for the love and support my friend 👨🍳🧀
Great video. We get the Zanetti here (the Grane Padano) in supermarkets. Not cheap but very good. Anything better and you need to go to a specialty shop.
Zanetti is a very good brand, definitely worth the money 🧀
I have bought Zanetti too sometimes here in Finland
i always use the middle green one when i make pasta carbonara . so im exited about the test.
that one works good for me.
It's simple. real parmegiano and pecorino is solty but doesn't taste like raw salt it taste a little fermented. I truly recomand real parmegiano but if your budget is slim try the Liddle DOP one. In Romania is 4 €/200g but is crazy close to the real one. Parmegiano usually is available every time but pecorino they usually have it only during Italian week
Thanks for sharing your experience with Italian cheeses my friend! Which one is your favorite? Pecorino or parmigiano?
@@vincenzosplate pecorino for sure
Like Piave Vecchio also. Works fine on pasta.
Not blind and would be much more interesting if the cheeses from different regions had been aged the same time. Now they are super easy to pick out
Nice to learn more about cheese
No 1 for me is Parmigiano as I need that Carbonara content in blood. 2nd spot is for a ton of french funky smelling ones. 3rd spot Gorgonzola.
In Belgium, and most of Europe, you can only call the cheese the actual name if it’s DOP. That means the cheese has it’s origin protected.
Whether it’s Parmigiano Regiano, Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano, once the name is on the package, you know it’s the real deal
In case of PARMIGIANO REGGIANO, if it says "Parmesan" on the package it also has to be original PARMIGIANO REGGIANO.
Don't know if my comment posted, so one more try: in the EU, if the package says "Parmesan" it also has to be original PARMIGIANO REGGIANO.
EDIT: lol ofc the app nowshows both comments.
@@NormanTheDormantDoormatI don't think so ? Where u get that from?
@@slavplaysgames I get that from PRESS RELEASE No 11/08 regarding a Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-132/05, Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of Germany
"Only cheeses bearing the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Parmigiano Reggiano' can be sold under the name ‘Parmesan' "; ergo every "Parmesan" must be the real deal in the EU.
@@NormanTheDormantDoormat nice that's great ! thanks for the source.
Vincenzo, what you call aging spots are simply salt crystals, the more mature the more salt crystals. Greetings from Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
No they are crystals of tyrosine, one of the amino-acids making proteins.
@@bobbyb9258 yes you are right🙂👍
So the more aged, the more spots..... Aging spots
@@matta2738 yes, correct.
Thanks for sharing this information with me my friend! 😊
Here in the US, if it says "parmesan," it's pasteurized, it's made from cow's milk, and has been aged at least 10 months. It's also produced in wheels like in Emilia-Romagna. It's also got requirements for moisture levels (maximum of 32% water) and milkfats (minimum of 32% in the solids, or about 22% overall). If it's labeled parmigiana Reggiano, it _must_ be Italian and follow the DOP rules.
Thank you for sharing this very interesting information with me! Which cheese is your favorite? 😊
@@vincenzosplate It really depends on what I'm doing with it! To add to a pasta after I've served it, I'll use generic American "parmesan" because it's kind of a comfort food, especially if I've had to make the sauce on the bland side for people who don't have salt cravings as intense as mine (or if I have to use jar sauce). Sometimes I'll grate or shave a little of the good imported stuff, if it's a good and flavorful sauce like puttanesca. When I make cacio e pepe, it's gotta be pecorino romano; for carbonara, it's a mix of grana padano and parmigiana Reggiano. (Assuming I can find grana padano or pecorino romano; it's not a guarantee that I can in this part of the country.) I use mozzarella and ricotta in my lasagna (along with some parmesan) and I use mozzarella and a bit of Parmesan to top baked Italian dishes.
And then there are all my other uses of cheese! I am in America, after all, so I use Mexican cheeses in Mexican food, American cheeses like, well, American cheese and Vermont, Wisconsin, and New York cheddar in American cheese dishes such as a proper grilled cheese (usually good quality deli American cheese, for the melt, along with a slice of cheddar) or macaroni and cheese. (And, yes, I do sometimes use Velveeta, because the emulsifiers in it make cheeses that don't want to melt very melty indeed.)
Vincenzo AKA il Evalutatore, the hero we need but don't deserve xD
If you live in 🇺🇸/🇨🇦, COSTCO has the best deal on authentic parmigiano reggiano (24 months)
I hope my audience from the US reads your comment! 😊
I would love to see him rate the one Costco has ! It is definitely the best quality I have found in the states. It has a very unique nutty flavor.
Stay tuned! Maybe I'll do a second part of this video 😊
I live in Parma but I'm curious to try Australian parmesan.
It's good but you're not missing out 😂
I recently discovered Zanetti's pre-grated parmigiano reggiano. No anti-caking agent! It's been perfect for mixing into pasta sauces and it's about the same price by volume as the non-grated stuff.
Wow that sounds like a fantastic product! I'll see if I can get my hands on one 😊
@@vincenzosplate So far I've only found it at Woolworths here in Adelaide, but other shops may have it in other parts of the country.
The intro is hilarious ! 🤭
Hahah glad you liked it 😂
You shouldn't smell them before the taste test because you will remember what one is what then, or be close at least.
They all smelled the same or didn't have any smell at all
You know I have never seen other Italian Cheeses like Bagoss, Ragusano and Bitto mentioned in Italian cooking. Curious about those.
Love the video
Thanks mate 😊
Zanetti also makes Pecorino Romano. I’m interested in what you think of it in a Carbonara. Is it too salty?
My husband loves the grated Kraft in the shaker. Can’t help him. I will always go for the real thing.
The real thing is the best❤
Stick the real thing grated in the green Kraft Shaker and see if he notices the difference. If the think's its "improved" you can then ' fess up 😂😂
@@raymondfoo3281 🤣🤣
II can't believe that Kraft pre-grated shelf stable parmesan is still selling in Woolies and Coles!! God give me strength!!
Did you ever do a video on how to properly store cheese, once opened?
Not yet, but stay tuned!
@@vincenzosplate Thank you. I'm on a pension and do not want to ruin my little bit of cheese I can afford.
Parmegiano Reggiano with honey. Going to try that. 🧀
Let me know what you think of this combo! 😊
Liked before I saw the video!
Aw thank you so much for your support my friend!
Since 2008 you can use the word Parmesan only for the real italian Permigiano Reggiano here in Europe. It's not a generic term for all hard cheeses.
Best thing living in nizza(nice) is that we get everything french and italian , nice used to be part of italy under kingdom of Savoy so it's mixed culture even today so we get the best cheese from the best two cheese country's
Hahah yeah you guys have a very strategic position😂 Which Italian product is your favorite? 😊
When it comes to cheese and crackers or pasta, the cheese matters
In my country we can only find latteria soresina and granarolo cheese. They are far better than local cheeses, but not sure how good they are compared with other italian cheeses.
The only way to know is by trying my friend! If you can't find italian cheeses where you live just go for them 😊
Not sure why but Grana Padano is quite unique from taste point of view, really distinguished as it has ananas end :-)
The difference between authentic, fresh-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the pre-grated "Parmesan style" cheese is significant. The authentic cheese is worth the extra money and grating it yourself, especially if you make your own tomato sauce. Go the extra mile and get the real deal.
Excellent advice my friend! Happy to see that you are a food enthusiast just like me 😊
Hi Vincenzo - I always go for the real deal parmigiano reggiano!!!
You know what I'm talking about mate! 😄
@@vincenzosplate yes indeed!
No. All is about the taste. Never seen any fake´s here in Finland. Thanks Vincenzo again.
You're welcome my friend! I hope you stay tuned for more videos like this 😊
If you are on a budget, just get 18-24 months old Grana Padano. It is not super premium Permegiano Regiano, but it cost half the price for 90% of flavour. And it is like 10x better then all the grated "Parmesan sprinklers".
There is 1-2 euros in the price difference between that and similar aged and weight parmigiano.
It is completely pointless buying GP because the taste of parmigiano is far superior. GP is fine but it lacks something and isn't quite as good, for the price difference it is absolutely not worth buying the slightly cheaper GP.
Old Grana from Nonna in North Italy is the Best.... At all Ages...
You're so lucky to have a nonna that makes the cheese herself! 😊
I live in the UK. I’m English, but we get all our olive oil and pecorino from very small Italian family organic estate. They don’t do parmigiana.
I love how you have to double, tripple and quadrouple check them all, as an excuse to snack on cheese. 🤣
I'd do the exact same.
Hahahaha yeah I wanted to eat more but I also to be sure in the scores that I was giving to them 😂
I bought the 24 month Zanetti from Costco here in the US, and it is good. Well, my mom bought it for me. 1.5 lbs for $16.80
Zanetti is a very good brand, glad that you could find it 😊
@@vincenzosplate Thank you
Thanks Vincenzo! Brilliant!! Just with 24 months had been included in the running, but pretty close to 30?
These were the ones that we could find mate, but I'm sure the 24 months old would have gotten e high score😊
Vincenzo, a question. If you bought the 6 month aged Australian parmesan (or an American equivalent) could you age it at home and make a fuller, more authentic flavored parmigiano? I understand that aging cheese requires a specific controlled environment of temperature and humidity (and patience!), but was curious if a middle range parmesan with good flavor would be enhanced by longer aging. Really enjoyed the video!
I would trust the expert with the aging process of the parmigiano my friend! 😊
Hey, does anyone know who makes the Parmesan cheese for Panera Bread? My wife had a chicken Caesar salad and it had a significant quantity of shaved parm on the salad. I tried it and it was really really good cheese. Surprised me actually as I was expecting something along the lines of the garbage and sawdust that Kraft sells in the green shaker can.
I hope someone from the comments can help you!
All cheese is expensive in NZ. Cheaper local parmesan adds flavor to cheese sauces, the others are too "ouch" expensive and I reserve to grate over pastas and select salads. I prefer peccorino romano, but lately it has vanished from stores where I live.
I'm a huge fan of pecorino myself! 😄 Which cheese do you usually use instead?
@@vincenzosplate I'm hoarding my small remaining pecorino supply and using Parmigiano Regigano for all but the best dishes. It's almost as good. When I next make the rare long drive to Auckland, I hope to nab some pecorino.
Vincenzo, we say Parmigiano reggiano is made, not produced; this because it is not an industrial made product. The milk is not pasteurized and has to be fresh from the day before, while all the other look alike could use pasteurized milk that would be reactivated with the addition of enzymes. This is the biggest and main difference.
Thank you for sharing this information with me! I appreciate it! Which parmigiano brand is your favorite? 😊
My favorite will always be the one my family was making, but it’s 10 years they stopped…The best one you could find is the one made with only the milk of the Reggiana cow breed, possibly aged no less than 30 months
I've had to ask others to get me some Parmigiano Reggiano and they've come back with a block of Parmesan aged less than a year and they wonder why I get upset with them. I've tried making them do a taste test with 3 year aged cheese vs the stuff they brought me but they don't seem to taste a difference and claim they saved me money and it tastes the same. NO IT DOESN'T!
The worst is if I get a bag of oily Kraft shredded cheese or dehydrated flakes in a can. Another massive pet peeve is people who don't know heavy cream from coffee cream or milk. I prefer to do all the shopping but sometimes I forget things so it's my fault.
Wish you had a tried mil lel. An Aussie cheese which i find is good enough to compete with the Italian parmeggiano regianos
Thank you for the suggestion my friend, I'll make sure to give a try to this aussie cheese😊
1:02 Why you stand there with black t-shirt to showing the Parmigiano Reggiano?
Why not?
"Wow,... wow,... wow..." ❤😂
Same for me and I've seen some pretty bad stuff in my life ahaha
Would you consider doing a taste test for balsamico as well?
My stomach would suffer a lot 😅😂
@@vincenzosplate It would depend on how much you need for the taste test. Also, you could do like a wine testing and spit it out. I thought you would do that for the olive oil, to be honest - imagine my surprise when you went through 10-ish olive oil and swallowing it all. I imagine that was not very pleasant...
watching this eating a 12 month grana padano, good experience
The Grana I can buy has egg as an ingredient, which seems weird. I have recently found that parmigiana aged for under 30 months tastes unbearably sweet. Useful video.
Glad you found this video useful! Stay tuned for more cooking tips and delicious recipes😊
Hi Vincenzo, great video once again. Hey I'd love to see your take on a spirali con verdura.... as I know it's mushroom, broccoli, roasted capsicum, chilli, red onion, garlic, cream & passata. Would rather see a professional do it before I try. Another recipe you could add
Thank you for the excellent idea that you just gave me my friend! Stay tuned for the video 😄
Would be good to taste test these cheeses in a pasta side by side.
Yes but I already know which of them emulsify better and give a better flavor to my pasta!
I'm surprised that Grana Padano is supposed to be cheaper than Parmigiano Reggiano, because it's usually a bit more expensive here in Canada. It could be because it's less well-known, and so it has the impression of being more exotic?
Maybe, but if that's the case I would advice you to just go for the parmigiano. It's more used in Italian recipes 😊
Aged 40 months spots ...
A little bit like my skin....Aged but over 40 years... haha 😂😂
Love it...
Oh and the best....Matures with age ...Just taste and see ..
😂❤
As the Australian Parmesan scored the same as the 12 month PR I think some people on a budget would definitely swap now as it’ll be cheaper! 😂
Haha they should, they really were very similar 😊