Inflation Hits Parmigiano Reggiano; Film At Eleven

June 13, 2008 4:41 PM

Is there an American-made product comparable to parmigiano reggiano?

I went to the supermarket recently and found that the parmigiano reggiano had gone up from $11.99/pound to $14.99 just since the last time I bought. I imagine this is caused by the falling dollar and the rising cost of transport. I'm looking for a less expensive alternative that still has that distinctive taste, but I'm not having much luck.

American-made "parmesan" cheese typically doesn't seem to have the same tang and sharpness, if those are the right words. They seem tasteless compared to the genuine parmigiano.

I searched, and found it online for $11.99, but the shipping cost would more than wipe out my savings. So I'm looking for an alternative.

Is there some other less expensive cheese that has a similar taste? Or is there a particular brand or variety that I need to look for other than plain-bland-American-parmesan?

My next step is to buy both the Italian and the American products, then shred them and mix them, but I don't really want to go there. Help me find an alternative.

posted by Robert Angelo to food & drink (19 comments total)

Not domestic, but you can often find high quality imported Pecorino Romano and Grana Padano for a few dollars less per pound than Parmigiano-Reggiano. Neither is exactly the same as Parmigiano-Reggiano, but they are not dissimilar, and both are delicious.
posted by dersins at 4:54 PM on June 13, 2008

There is an Argentinian cheese (I don't remember what it's called -- I'll look next time I'm home) that has a similar tang. I would reccomend mixing it with pecorino if you miss the tang of parmesan, but I use it on its own.

I would just go to the store and start trying out hard cheeses, particularly those made from sheep's milk (even though Parmesan isn't), as they're likely to be tangier.
posted by rossination at 4:57 PM on June 13, 2008

Another hard, sharp, aged cheese is Asiago. It's also imported, but might be cheaper.
posted by RussHy at 5:06 PM on June 13, 2008

There is an Argentinian cheese (I don't remember what it's called

Argentine Sardo. Another good choice as a hard grating cheese, but (in my opinion) not quite as good as Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano.
posted by dersins at 5:06 PM on June 13, 2008

Do you have a Costco where you live? I buy pre-grated Cello Imported parmesan there in 3LB bags for something around $15. It may not be top of the line parmesan, but it's way better than the american stuff and I think it tastes pretty damn good.
posted by geeky at 5:17 PM on June 13, 2008

I'm really happy with the Parmesean Straveccio that they sell in Whole Foods. It's from Wisconsin. It's got a different flavor than reggiano, and is a little fruiter tasting, but it's definitely not bland. I eat it nearly every day. Yum!
posted by aubilenon at 5:32 PM on June 13, 2008

I was tempted to answer this simply, "No," as there isn't anything like Parmigiano Reggiano, but that wouldn't have been helpful.

I agree with dersins, though I'd put Grana Padano as the first substitute to try. It might be a little tougher to find than Parmigiano Reggiano, though. In Pecorino Romanos, two prominent brands are Locatelli (drier, sharper) and Fulvi (softer, sheepier). Asiago is sold at a variety of ages, so what you find might be a quite hard grating cheese or simply a quite firm cheese that will shred. It has a bit more of an acidic bite than PR's round fullness.

There are Argentinian "Parmesans," but I wouldn't suggest buying those or domestic "Parmesan." Not even close.

There's a domestic cheese, Dry Jack, which, while not PR-like, is quite good in its own right as a hard grating cheese.
posted by jocelmeow at 5:39 PM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'd just bite the bullet and buy the damn cheese.
posted by Max Power at 6:02 PM on June 13, 2008

Pecorino romano can be awfully sheepy.

An aged asiago will definitely be fruitier - it's got a kind of pineappley flavor, to me. (A former co-worker at Whole Foods once described asiago's particular nuttiness as being like peanut butter, and I agree. Not that it wouldn't be good on pasta.)

Your best bet is to visit a cheese store (if there's one near you) or the cheese dept. at a Whole Foods, and ask for recommendations and tastes.
posted by rtha at 6:12 PM on June 13, 2008

Oh, and when you buy a good reggiano, you save the rinds, right? You wrap them up in lots of plastic and throw them in the freezer so that you can add them to soup or sauce or risotto whenever you need to, right? Because you should do that.
posted by rtha at 6:13 PM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Dry aged monterey jack is the most similar domestic product I can think of, but I don't know how easy it is to find outside of California, and therefore may not be any cheaper to procure than a cheese that is widely imported.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:20 PM on June 13, 2008

Cook's Illustrated, the magazine for cooking geeks, had an article asking this question. Their verdict: no, it wasn't possible to find a domestic cheese with the complexity and texture of true parmeggiano reggiano. However, they recommended DiGiorno (Wisconsin-made) as the best alternative.

My solution: I use DiGiorno in cooking, where true PR's complexity and texture might get lost, and save the good stuff for moments when it will really shine: shaved over a salad, or served with bread and oil. If I were making fettucine Alfredo, I'd bite the bullet and use the good stuff.

In a follow-up article I sort-of-remember but cannot find online except behind a pay-wall, CI pointed out a trait to seek out in supermarket parmesans: flecks and specks of lighter color freckling the straw-colored cheese. These specks are a result of the aging process, and highly desirable. If you find a regional or local parmesan with these flecks, you've probably got a good cheese. (There's no guarantee, of course, that it will be less expensive than the true PR.)

On preview, off topic: I heartily second rtha's recommendation to save the rinds for use in soups and broths. Mmmm, umami.
posted by Elsa at 6:21 PM on June 13, 2008 [2 favorites]

Oh, and: you should check out the PDF linked at the bottom of the Cook's Illustrated article; the tasting notes are terriffically informative and occasionally hilarious.
posted by Elsa at 6:27 PM on June 13, 2008

The faux Parmigiano Reggiano from Argentina is not Sardo, it's Reggianito. It's not as complex or flavorful as the real stuff, but you might find it suitable for many recipes.
posted by Wet Spot at 6:53 PM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Thanks for all the answers so far. I've been shopping at HEB-Plus, which is sort a cross between a regular supermarket, a Costco, and a gourmet market. There is a Central Market and a Whole Foods a few miles up the road in Houston, and a Costco even further away in heavy traffic, but I can probably find the suggested alternatives right here.

I'll try the DiGiorno in cooking -- every store has it, and using 1/3 cup in my Alfredo sauce is a lot less expensive than using the real thing.

Keep your suggestions coming, though. All answers are appreciated!
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:59 PM on June 13, 2008

Meaning, of course, that I'll sprinkle the genuine article on top of the Alfredo when serving it... Can you tell I'm on a budget?
posted by Robert Angelo at 7:01 PM on June 13, 2008

The "freckling" that Elsa refers to - the cheese's natural "grain" exposed - is also a good indication of the freshness of the cut in genuine Parmigiano Reggiano. Freshly-cut cheese will be straw-colored with lighter freckles. If the cheese sits around too long or is exposed to too much heat, it'll turn a darker brown, with the fat coming to the surface and largely obscuring the freckles.

(I am assuming here that the cheese you're looking at has been cut with a wire rather than being divided with knives in the traditional way. If you're shopping somewhere where they bother to use the traditional method - which results in craggy pieces that break along the cheese's natural grain - you won't see "freckles" in the same way. However, if you're shopping somewhere they use the knife method you'll probably be paying enough that you'd darn well better be getting fresh cheese.)

Something else I didn't think of last night - when you're comparing per-pound prices, don't forget about the difference in moisture content and flavor intensity between other cheeses and very dry PR - basically, how much cheese it'll take to get the culinary job done. Yes, it's pricey, but it packs a lot of flavor per ounce - and really, it's imported milk with at least two years' interest. Now how much would you pay? :)

And speaking of rind uses, I had customers who would give the rinds to their dogs as chew treats. Lucky dogs, indeed.
posted by jocelmeow at 11:00 AM on June 14, 2008 [2 favorites]

Good point, jocelmeow! I popped back into the thread to clarify: the speckles of which I spoke are described by Cook's Illustrated as little crystalline formations, and should not be confused with discoloration spots that can mar stale (oxidized) parmesan. Your best bet is to take a good hard look at the texture and color of a fine cheese, then try to find the closest possible match in a lower priced domestic.
posted by Elsa at 6:35 PM on June 14, 2008

If anyone is still following this, the Parmigiano Reggiano is up to $18.99/pound -- just 12 days after I asked my question! I bought the Grans Padano instead (thanks dersins & jocelmeow) which, still pricey for me $14.99, is a better option for my budget this week.
posted by Robert Angelo at 12:58 PM on June 25, 2008