By Iron Chef Leftovers
Parmigiano Reggiano. It is the undisputed king of cheeses (hence the Reggiano) and nothing really compares to its grassy, nutty flavor. Cook’s Illustrated did a taste test (sorry, no link, it is subscriber only) and nothing came close. This question was printed in the Seattle Times and the answer, given by a professional food writer, was vague and really not helpful. Yes, the really high end Parmigiano is pricey, but there are several less expensive sources (granted, they aren’t the highest quality, but will still blow the doors off any other cheese): Costco, Trader Joe’s and Seattle based PFI (probably the best cheese selection in Seattle, but they do have a 1 pound minimum on any cheese) all carry Reggiano at less than $13 a pound.
The writer of the question said that Reggiano was no longer in his budget. I use the stuff in a good deal of my cooking and a pound lasts me almost 6 months (you really don’t need that much unless you want whatever you put it in to taste like Reggiano and nothing else). Between the small amount you need of Reggiano and the larger amount of any other cheese you need to get the same flavor, my guess is that you would spend roughly the same amount a year on cheese. If you are going to do that, you might as well go with the king.
FlatbreadGarden 