The differences between Parmesan Cheeses. We have two kinds of parmesan in our fridge right now. Both were purchased in the fancy cheese section of Wegman's. One is labeled Parmesan Reggiano and the other just Parmesan. I intentionally purchased both kinds because the flavor, texture, grating, and melting characters seem to be different.
The one called Parmesan Reggiano is grittier, dryer, slightly more bitter, and takes longer to melt. It also can't be thinly sliced unless you're some kind of wizard or master swordsman who forges your own weapons of cheese destruction using fire and magic.
The other Parmesan is softer, sweeter, melts nicely onto food or into cream sauce, or grates, shreds, or slices easily with various sized tools. Cheese graters and veggie peelers work grate (ha!) for the perfect amount, flavor influence, or look for your meal.
Unfortunately the one labeled just Parmesan is a fake. It's just cheese influenced by Parmesan Reggiano. But sometimes fakes are better than the real thing. Sometimes they're just different. Parmesan Reggiano, to my taste buds, packs far more flavor than it's impostor. It also seems more expensive, but somehow I get more cheese out of a block of it than I would if I bought (and I never will again) several of those green tubes of grated crap with the wood pulp. I'm actually saving money and saving my liver from weird chemical additives/preservatives, and saving my digestive system from trying to figure out how to process wood pulp. Because the flavor is so rich and bold, I also find myself using less cheese and less cheese can only mean less calories. There really isn't any other benefit to less cheese. None at all.
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