I Tried 10 Store-Bought Parmesan Cheese Brands. This Was The Best One By Far - Tasting Table

Parmesan is valued for its salty, savory taste and fatty richness that boosts many foods. Different brands and formats—wedge, grated, or shaved—can deliver noticeably different flavor and texture. A tasting of ten Parmesan brands from a local grocery store ranked them by overall flavor and texture, with attention to what home cooks can expect from each type. The results challenge the assumption that a Parmesan wedge is always superior to pre-shredded Parmesan. The guidance focuses on helping shoppers select a Parmesan they will enjoy in specific applications such as salads, sandwiches, pasta, and cooking recipes, while also noting that some shredded options can still be useful despite varying quality.

"Out of all the cheeses in the world, Parmesan is arguably one of the best. It's perfectly salty and savory, with a fatty richness that gives an extra oomph to just about whatever you add it to. It's delicious in cheese-based recipes, but it also shines when it's simply sprinkled on top of a salad, sandwich, or pasta dish."

"I picked up 10 different Parmesan cheese brands from my local grocery store and tasted them all to give you more info about which you should buy. I ranked these cheeses according to overall flavor and texture. However, since we're working with so many different types of Parmesan, ranging from grated to wedge, I've tried to hone in on what each of these Parmesans has to offer to home cooks and what to expect when you buy them."

"While you may assume that a Parmesan wedge would always be better than the pre-shredded variety, that assumption doesn't hold true in this ranking. Let's take a closer look at what each of these Parmesan cheeses bring to the table, so you can select which one you want to try next."

"Out of all the Parmesan cheese brands I tried for this ranking, Lucerne's was by far the most disappointing. Of course, it's no secret that some shredded Parmesan cheeses aren't as flavorful as a standard wedge or block of Parmesan, but I think that shredded Parm can absolutely be delicious and come in handy in a variety of cooking contexts. Unfortunately, though, I wouldn't use this product in basically anything that I cook. That's because this cheese is shockingly bland."

Read at Tasting Table