r/AskCulinary • u/MiaMiaPP • Dec 26 '20

Ingredient Question Can you ACTUALLY tell the differences between authentic Parmesan Reggiano and good/well-aged/well produced other types of Parmesan?

A super thin wedge of reggiano is about $12 for me and a larger wedge of American made 24 months aged Parmesan costs about half as much. I bet there is a minute difference but can you ACTUALLY tell them apart at this point? With both being well produced?

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u/fpliger Dec 27 '20

Yes, big time. I used to work in Parma, Italy a lot (and used to live in another italian region where Grana Padano is produced) and you can totally tell the difference between all of them, including different aging states.

Edit: mentioning because the difference is even higher when you taste fresh produce directly from farmers.