Savoury and brothy

Glutamate and age

Milk proteins hold glutamic acid bound up in long chains. As a cheese ages, enzymes cut the chains and release free glutamate, which tastes of umami. Parmigiano Reggiano has one of the highest levels of free glutamate of any common food, and the level rises with age. Peptides and other amino acids add brothy, meaty notes, and some amino acids collect as the white crystals in old wheels. Salt, which brings out umami, plays its part too.

Cooking with savoury cheese

Savoury cheeses are seasoning cheeses. Parmigiano and Grana finish risotto, pasta and soup, and their rinds simmer in stock. Comté and Gruyère deepen onion soup and gratins. A vegetarian kitchen can lean on these cheeses for the depth that meat stock gives elsewhere, but cooks who avoid animal rennet should check how a cheese is made: Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are always made with calf rennet, while many similar hard cheeses use microbial rennet.

Beyond the grana

Savoury depth turns up in many places: in aged Mahón from Menorca, old Gouda, Switzerland's Sbrinz, the long-aged Bitto of the Valtellina, and the aged sheep's milk cheeses of the Pyrenees, such as Ossau-Iraty. Well-aged washed rinds have a meaty savour too. Pair these cheeses with good bread, a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar, dry sherry or a dark ale, which share their deep, rounded taste.

Worth knowing

• Parmigiano Reggiano: High in free glutamate
• Grana Padano: Grana of the Po valley
• Comté: Brothy when aged
• Gouda: Deep and savoury when old
• Sbrinz: Hard Swiss grating cheese
• Mahón: Menorcan cheese, savoury when aged
• Bitto: Alpine cheese of the Valtellina, aged for years
• Ossau-Iraty: Pyrenean sheep's milk cheese

Sources and further reading

• Umami on Wikipedia
• Parmigiano Reggiano, Wikipedia
• Grana Padano, Wikipedia