Parmesan producers bank on cheese

MSNBC.com ^ | August 21, 2009

[rdl6989]

MILAN - All that is golden in bank Credito Emiliano's temperature-controlled vault is not precious metal, but something equally prized in Italy: aging Parmesan cheese.

Row upon row of 85-pound wheels of straw-colored Parmesan cheese, stacked some 33 feet high at a secure warehouse, age for as many as two years under the care of bank employees trained in the centuries-old art of Parmesan making.

The program allows Parmesan producers to pump cash into their business by using their product as collateral while it is otherwise sitting on a shelf for the long aging process. While the mechanism was not born out of the current economic crisis, dating rather from Italy's post-World War II years, producers say it is ever more important because it ensures that credit keeps flowing during otherwise tight times.

[njslim]

Sounds a little chessy to me...

[Drango]

CHEEEEEESSEE.

[paulycy]

[Lurker]

Parmesan Regianno is the undisputed heavyweight KING of all cheeses. If you have only ONE cheese in your home make sure it is a genuine, marked chunk of Parmesan Regianno.

Accept NO substitute.

[Loyal Buckeye]

[kenth]

LOL, and immediately, a blasphemer shows up right below you.

[rdl6989]

Parmesan Regianno

I will certainly keep that advice in mind.

[stripes1776]

Parmesan Regianno is the undisputed heavyweight KING of all cheeses. If you have only ONE cheese in your home make sure it is a genuine, marked chunk of Parmesan Regianno.

Yes, this cheese is essential for a good pasta dish. But it's not cheap. In Italian, it is Parmigiano Reggiano. That will be written on the outside of the cheese, stamped on the rind. But once you try this Italian cheese, you will never be satisfied with domestic Parmesan. Buon appetito! Alla salute del cuoco!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

What about this:

Makes your SPAM slices in the spaghetti noodles with ketchup taste really Eye-talian!

[Lurker]

Believe it or not it's available at Costco for a very reasonable price, considered. The Lurker Compound is NEVER without some of it.

It's not only good on pasta, but it's a fine 'eating' cheese as well. Use your vegetable peeler to shave some off on top of almost any salad and prepare for a real treat.

Since it's a hard cheese, it's also extremely nutritious and 'healthy'.

Bon apetito.

L

[rdl6989]

My personal favorite.

[Lurker]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but that stuff is an affront against both God AND man.

If you have any in your home please immediately contact your local EPA office and have it disposed of properly so no one can be harmed by it.

Then by all means necessary find yourself some Genuine Parmesan Regiano. You'll be amazed at the difference if flavor and you'll never, ever settle for anything else.

L

[djf]

I understand what you are saying. My lasagna deserves nothing better, including imported ricotta.

BUT......

My fridge would seem empty and hopeless without a good chunk of Danish Blue!!!

[stripes1776]

I understand what you are saying. My lasagna deserves nothing better, including imported ricotta. BUT...... My fridge would seem empty and hopeless without a good chunk of Danish Blue!!!

OK, that makes perfect sense. But if you like blue cheese, what about a good Gorgonzola?

[djf]

Worth a try!!

If it goes well with a Merlot or Cabernet, I’m game!

[printhead]

I saw the word fromage and thought fromunda. Mind in the gutter again.

[stripes1776]

If it goes well with a Merlot or Cabernet, I’m game!

For the traditional, classic, spicy and crumbly Gorgonzola, a good aged red wine like a Merlot or Cabernet would be a great match. For the softer types of Gorgonzola that you sometimes see, a spicy white wine would be a good match.

[GOPJ]

It’s almost $20.00 a pound here ( and worth it...) - what are you paying?

[Ramius]

Venezuelan beaver cheese?