Hard and grating cheeses
Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano and Sbrinz: long-aged, crystalline and grated.
Hard cheeses are the long-aged, low-moisture wheels made to be grated or broken into shards. Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, Sbrinz and kefalotyri are the best known. Their curd is cut very fine and cooked, then pressed and aged for a year or more, until the paste is crumbly, granular and full of crystals. A little goes a long way, and many kitchens treat them as a seasoning as much as a cheese.
Grana and the long age
Grana means grain, after the granular texture of Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano. Both are made from cow's milk in large copper vats, cut into rice-sized grains, cooked and moulded into wheels of around 40 kilograms. Parmigiano Reggiano must age at least 12 months, with 24 and 36 months common, and comes from a defined area around Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, part of Bologna and part of Mantua. Its rind is marked with dotted lettering that names the cheese, the dairy and the month it was made.
Sheep and goat
Pecorino Romano, linked by tradition to the rations of Roman soldiers, is a salty sheep's milk cheese now made mostly in Sardinia, and it is the cheese of cacio e pepe. Greece's kefalotyri, Switzerland's Sbrinz, old Dutch Gouda and aged Manchego play similar roles in their own kitchens. In Latin America, aged cotija is grated over Mexican dishes, and Argentina's reggianito is a small grana-style wheel first made by Italian migrants.
Crystals and the rind
The crunch in an old hard cheese comes from crystals of tyrosine, an amino acid, and in some cheeses calcium lactate, which form as the proteins break down. They are a sign of age, not of salt. The rinds of grana cheeses are edible but very hard: Italian cooks drop them into minestrone and bean soups, where they soften and season the broth. Hard cheeses are low in moisture, so they keep for a long time once cut.
Worth knowing
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Italy's great grana, aged at least a year
- Grana Padano: Grana of the Po valley, made over a wider area
- Pecorino Romano: Salty sheep's milk grating cheese
- Sbrinz: Hard Swiss cheese of central Switzerland
- Kefalotyri: Hard Greek sheep's and goat's milk cheese
- Cotija: Mexican cheese, crumbled young and grated aged
- Reggianito: Argentina's small grana-style wheel
Good to know
- Keep hard cheese in paper or a cheese bag; it lasts for weeks once cut.
- Break Parmigiano into chunks with a short, almond-shaped knife rather than slicing it.
- Grate it just before using, since ready-grated cheese loses its aroma.
- Save the rinds in the freezer for soups and stocks.
Sources and further reading
Original text by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.
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