Posted on 08/21/2009 5:23:23 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
It’s amazing how awesome spoiled milk can be if it’s spoiled just right.
My personal favorite is Venezuelan Beaver Cheese. (See Monty Pythons’ Cheeseshoppe Sketch. Classic)
Ahhh.... gold..., silver..., and then Parmesan... LOL...
We buy ours at Costco for about 9.99 a pound.
bump
I get my Alaskan King Crab at Costco but never checked them for high quality cheese. Thanks for sharing - I feel mildly foolish - and very grateful. :)
I’m happy to be of service. Just make sure the rind is marked. Enjoy.
OK, got me going, so the other day I hit the cheese section.
Got a piece of Bel Gioioso grana.
Quite a nutty flavor, good texture from inside the wheel towards the outside.
Slightly smoky. Really quite good, and at abt $12 a pound, a decent buy.
I would call it a “must try”.
But I went back, so now I sit here with some Merlot with a few cubes in it, and a good slice of Grassi Parmagiano.
The tiny crystals are teasing the hell out of my taste buds... without a doubt, one of the best cheeses in the world. Been a few years, as I said I usually like a blue cheese as a delicacy with a fine wine, but every once in a while, a guys just gotta splurge!!
I'm glad to hear you are enjoying the cheese. I agree. Sometimes a guys just gotta splurge!
I already made it a point to see what’s available in the Gorgonzola!
One of these days, I’ll get around to making lasagna. No trivial task, when you use the best all fresh ingredients,
cook the sauce and noodles from scratch, and make a minimum of six lasagnas at a shot!!
Go big or go home!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.