Here are some tips to make you a savvy buyer:
Know your supplier
Zanetti has been selling Parmigiano-Reggiano & Grana Padano in the U.S. for 60 years. Its products are time-tested and its high quality is proven by its more than 50% market share. Every wheel of cheese that Zanetti exports is kept completely under company control right from the vat. With Zanetti, there is no spot buying or assembling. Zanetti has 500,000 wheels curing at any given time and the financial resources to sustain any up or down in the Italian economy.
Can any other supplier say the same?
Parmigiano-Reggiano
& Grana Padano
The price of milk, the monthly carrying cost, and the quality of the cheese all determine price. Quality organizations are advised to always buy top of the line cheese for consistent, perfect products.
Age Counts
Parmigiano-Reggiano, 24 months is the proper aging for top quality Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Stravecchio Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is growing in popularly, is cured 36 months.
Know that not every wheel of cheese simply can be aged longer and achieve successful flavor development. It takes a master curer like Zanetti to select the cheeses that will properly mature for another year.
Everyday Parmigiano-Reggiano, typically used by food service, is aged 18-20 months. (Grassi Zanetti)
Grana Padano
Stravecchio Grana Padano is 22-24 months.
Extra Grana Padano is properly aged at 18-22 months.
Grana Padano is 16-18 months.
Coda/Testa
Spring and Fall are the traditional, optimum months for Parmigiano-Reggiano. These months have the best milk. Check the date on the rind of the cheese. The month is there. With Grana Padano, the milk is more uniform throughout the year.
Farms, Production & Curing are critical
Parmigiano-Reggiano is a cottage industry and the cheese can only be produced in the Reggio-Emilio district, where the quality of the milk is unparalleled. Know the farms where your cheese is produced. The quality of their cheeses varies considerably. To obtain superior cheese, Zanetti only has contracts with the top farms in the Reggio-Emilio district.
Grana Padano is produced in larger facilities around the Po River. Zanetti owns state-of-the-art facilities and is the largest producer of Grana Padano exported to the U.S. The quality of Zanetti Grana Padano is proven by its high market share and 60-year reputation. Can any other supplier make this claim?
Curing
Since Parmigiano-Reggiano is made in small quantities each day, the farms depend on large companies like Zanetti for their curing. Zanetti oversees more than 500,000 wheels in cure at all times and the company tests with both the Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano and the Consorzio Grana Padano every step of the way. This even includes a final x-ray to make sure every wheel meets all standards before export. Taste the Zanetti products and you will experience the art of a master curer.
Taste, Paste & Rind
The correct flavor profile for Parmigiano-Reggiano is described as “nutty” and sharp. Grana Padano has “sweeter, nutty” notes. There should be a crunch to both products. This comes from compressed calcium deposits produced during the long aging process. The perfect paste is straw colored and has no cracks, pin holes or eyes. One or two cracks are permitted for food service. The rind should have no defects.
Domestic Cheeses
Is this product made by an expert? Proper products take fine milk, intensive supervision, traditional starter cultures and correct curing. Make sure the products you buy are made in the traditional way, not by a company which speeds up the process with quick cures and other enzymes.
Flavor in aged products is developed over time. Learn about how your supplier makes their products. The more natural, the longer aged—the more traditional they will be.
Pecorino Romano
Since sheep’s milk cheeses are not under quota, Pecorino Romano in the U.S. can have uneven quality. Beware. If you don’t know the quality of your importer’s operations you can receive inconsistent cheese, which is salty, discolored or improperly aged.
ASI is the largest importer of Pecorino Romano in the U.S. and ASI works with the largest co-op in Sardinia. ASI Pecorino Romano is the top in the industry. Its consistent quality derives from the tight specifications defined by ASI. Regular wheels are standardized with lower salt and a minimum 7 months of aging and large wheels, called “Genuino” have 9 months age and lower salt. This premium product must be tasted.
Pecorino Romano is a sharp cheese, perfect for grating. But it should not have excessive salt or fat, cracks, or yellow discoloration. It should be properly aged, a minimum 7 months. If the price is cheap, be careful. There’s probably a reason.
South American Parmesans
To be a smart buyer of Argentine and Uruguayan products, here are some questions to ask your supplier. Are the products exclusively made by the company selling them? Are the factories state-of-the-art? Are the companies strong enough financially to supply cheese year in and year out? Is the brand time-tested?
SanCor and Conaprole products are 100% produced by those suppliers. Others buy on the market. SanCor and Conaprole have been in the U.S. market for 25-30 years delivering high quality, consistent products. Other brands come and go, but SanCor and Conaprole are the largest and strongest in their home markets, which means supply is guaranteed. It’s no wonder than SanCor and Conaprole have the highest market share in this price-value segment.
ASI has a wide range of South American Parmesans which its technical team has developed in concert with its producers. They range from Reggianito, with its traditional Italian flavor, to a newer product called Parm Dolce, which has “Grana” notes. SanCor blocks and barrel pieces are famous for industrial use. ASI goya is prized.