I agree that people should try them, and they are superior to cheap, mass-produced supermarket cheeses. But even a cheaper imitation parmigiano (I’m not talking about the powdered “cheese” you get in a Kraft bottle) is close enough to “certified” stuff that if you want to save some money, you can approximate it with something nearly equivalent for half the price. And if you don’t have an especially sensitive palate, you may not even be able to tell the difference.
I always buy what in my country is typically called “Italian Hard Cheese” for legal reasons. It’s as you say, a very close approximation to the real thing if you’re not too discerning. Main reason for me is that I don’t like parmigiano’s insistence on using rennet from calves.
I’m sure that’s true. I’ve never had the imitation stuff so I don’t know how they compare. I’ve just been blown away by how good they are that it justifies the price for me. They are very strong cheeses so you don’t need to use much. I vacuum seal them after every use so they last forever.
On a semi-related note, Guanciale is ridiculously expensive and that I can’t justify buying no matter how much I want to make authentic Carbonara.
I agree that people should try them, and they are superior to cheap, mass-produced supermarket cheeses. But even a cheaper imitation parmigiano (I’m not talking about the powdered “cheese” you get in a Kraft bottle) is close enough to “certified” stuff that if you want to save some money, you can approximate it with something nearly equivalent for half the price. And if you don’t have an especially sensitive palate, you may not even be able to tell the difference.
I always buy what in my country is typically called “Italian Hard Cheese” for legal reasons. It’s as you say, a very close approximation to the real thing if you’re not too discerning. Main reason for me is that I don’t like parmigiano’s insistence on using rennet from calves.
I’m sure that’s true. I’ve never had the imitation stuff so I don’t know how they compare. I’ve just been blown away by how good they are that it justifies the price for me. They are very strong cheeses so you don’t need to use much. I vacuum seal them after every use so they last forever.
On a semi-related note, Guanciale is ridiculously expensive and that I can’t justify buying no matter how much I want to make authentic Carbonara.