Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food • Hacker News Board

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#101

Post by basch » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 7:08 PM UTC

twic wrote: post #25

There's a lot of woo in that article. Yes, Parmesan is made to strict rules; no, i probably couldn't tell it from Grana Padano if i was blindfolded. And there's an effort from Wisconsin that is apparently very good: https://www.thekitchn.com/a-morethanworthy-replacement-f-132...

This cheese they make is one I like http://www.sartoricheese.com/our-cheese/reserve-cheese/monta...

"Is it Cheddar that tastes like Parmesan or Parmesan that tastes like Cheddar? Even though it's indescribable, we know you'll fall in love with this creamy, white wonder."

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#102

Post by coldtea » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 7:09 PM UTC

basch wrote: post #8

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #3

>Few of these fans would recognise much of what’s sold today. The white flakes many of us grew up shaking from a green can aren’t parmesan, not even close. Within the EU, both Parmigiano-Reggiano and its anglicised version, “parmesan”, are legally registered terms protected by the PDO – protected designation of origin – label since 1996. But in the US, the law protects only the name “Parmigiano-Reggiano” (In the EU,…

There are good American variants. "Parmigiano-Reggiano" may be protected, but it doesnt mean that the only good cheese is coming from Italy. https://www.belgioioso.com/Products/American-Grana https://www.belgioioso.com/Products/Parmesan Check out section H - https://1sskha48hhbhl0oc61bhsagh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-... https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results/?event=61&eventCl... They won first place in America a…

Nobody in Italy even cares about those contests (for one, they'd consider "ACS" a contradiction terms).

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#103

Post by jimbokun » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 7:29 PM UTC

Kurtz79 wrote: post #11

Fun fact: it is referenced int the classic novel "Treasure Island" by Louis Stevenson (1883): "If there's any doubt about the matter, he is," returned the doctor. "A man who has been three years biting his nails on a desert island, Jim, can't expect to appear as sane as you or me. It doesn't lie in human nature. Was it cheese you said he had a fancy for?" "Yes, sir, cheese," I answered. "Well, Jim," says he, "just se…

Wow, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium were paying for product placement even back then!

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#104

Post by phaus » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 7:39 PM UTC

pmontra wrote: post #95

phaus wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never seen parmesan packaged in anything that wasn't transparent or completely clear. If you buy a block of parmesan that doesn't seem to actually be parmesan its probably your fault. Some cheeses like the one you mentioned, I can see a need for caution, but I can generally look at a block of parmesan and tell whether its going to be great or mediocre.

It doesn't matter if the package is transparent or not. If the name is not Parmigiano-Reggiano it's something else. No doubt it's edible, but not the cheese you want if you went out to buy Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I'm not sure how your comment is relevant. Brakenshire suggested that you could buy a type of cheese that's marketed as a specific kind of cheese, only to find that it is completely different in consistency, texture, and flavor. I'm saying that's not likely with parmesan cheese due to the fact that you can see it. I've had Parmigiano-Reggiano and a multitude of other less authentic Parmesan cheeses, 100% of the time if it has looked similar and been marked as parmesan it tasted like it was the same general type of cheese as Parmigiano-Reggiano, even if it wasn't as good. He was describing an experience where the cheese tastes nothing like what its supposed to because it is something completely different.

The packaging is relevant because its impossible to make the same mistake with Parmesan cheese because if it looks like a block of parmesan cheese its going to taste very similar to parmigiano-reggiano.

I don't recall ever saying that its the same thing as officially certified and/or marketed parmigiano-reggiano. Perhaps you should read comments and the comments they were responding to more closely.

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#105

Post by kbouck » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 7:51 PM UTC

jeffwass wrote: post #64

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #3

>Few of these fans would recognise much of what’s sold today. The white flakes many of us grew up shaking from a green can aren’t parmesan, not even close. Within the EU, both Parmigiano-Reggiano and its anglicised version, “parmesan”, are legally registered terms protected by the PDO – protected designation of origin – label since 1996. But in the US, the law protects only the name “Parmigiano-Reggiano” (In the EU,…

Question for the HC crowd : Eat the rind or not? I do, only after the rest is gone.

You can add the rind to minestrone.

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#106

Post by Jedd » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 8:01 PM UTC

sgc wrote: post #18

basch wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are good American variants. "Parmigiano-Reggiano" may be protected, but it doesnt mean that the only good cheese is coming from Italy. https://www.belgioioso.com/Products/American-Grana https://www.belgioioso.com/Products/Parmesan Check out section H - https://1sskha48hhbhl0oc61bhsagh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-... https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results/?event=61&eventCl... They won first place in America a…

Come on. That last is obviously a "championship" which is completely biased towards American style and palate, and probably only has a very few non-American cheeses in the competition. It is run by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, and might not even have many submissions that aren't from Wisconsin. They only list styles and winners but it is transparently biased/primarily local. Similar comments can be made f…

"When we hold a World Championship for a particular sport, we invite teams from other countries to play, as well."

    John Cleese talking about the differences between the UK and USA

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#107

Post by luckydata » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 8:28 PM UTC

atombender wrote: post #92

luckydata wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but I didn't need to. American producer aren't up to snuff at the moment. Belgioioso is an italian brand BTW, I used to sell it in my family's store back in Italy, we used to own a high end deli and know quite a bit about Italian food and specifically about cheese, at 15 I was the "product manager" for parent's store. Ask me anything :)

BelGioioso is absolutely an American brand [1]. It was admittedly founded by an Italian immigrant and run by "Italian master cheesemakers", but all cheese production happens in Wisconsin, using American dairy and workers. [1] https://www.belgioioso.com/Secret

I call it "Italian" because they are culturally and technically very similar to the companies that make cheese in Italy, and an offshoot of Auricchio (they have been importing cheese in the US for a long time before starting that US company). They make more or less the same medium quality products Auricchio is known for in this country, I'm not really a fan.

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#108

Post by fulafel » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 8:30 PM UTC

Don't buy Parmigiano, they have serious problems with treatment of cows.

Link: https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-11-25/animal-rights-group-s...

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#109

Post by woodpanel » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 9:29 PM UTC

eafkuor wrote: post #30

eyko wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone needs Parmagiano-Reggiano. You can buy parmesan to put on your microwaved pasta and it will be Very Good(TM). No need to waste good quality DOP on that. As with all cheeses, "parmesan" labeled cheeses will also vary in quality. Go for what your wallet + taste buds tell you to pick. There really are good quality "parmesan" brands out there. Maybe not the cheapest stuff in your grocery store, but as long a…

> You can buy parmesan to put on your microwaved pasta Jesus Christ you almost gave me a heart attack

As a European this whole American microwaved cheese on noodles thing was always a prime cliché example of classless American quisine (I think for Americans too).

Boy am I happy to have gotten over that snobbishness! Apart from many American dishes that blew me away macaroni and cheese wasn’t one of it (since it’s not served in US diners ... i think). So I tried it out at home (leftover noodles and some cheese) and I have to say: it was really good. The melt is perfect. I don’t know of any technique capable of merging noodles with melted cheese in such an immersive way other than with a microwave (radiating oven heat will have a different effect).

Re: Parmigiano-Reggiano: Italy's 'practically perfect' food

#110

Post by ceejayoz » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #79

Only one question, what is the sodium content like? The article is curiously silent on that.

1.6 grams of sodium (about the daily limit) in a hundred grams of Parmigiano-Reggiano. https://www.parmigianoreggiano.com/made/nutritional_features...