Graters

anyone who is very familiar with Parmesan cheese please answer this for me?

Is parmesan cheese can only be found in "sprinkle" form because iv never seen parmesan in other forms (mozarella in both grated and block form). Just to make sure im right....Parmesan cheese doesnt melt, right?? because even though i heat it in the oven....it doesnt melt!

Public Comments

1. no go to the store to the meat man and ask
2. Parmesan cheese comes in a brick as well, it is fresh parmesan cheese. It is not as milky, so I do not think it would melt well. Kraft makes a fresh parmesan brick in a container, near the cheese section in the store, you turn it like a peppermill to shred the parmesan cheese.
3. You can find the cheese in the cheese section it will be in a block from or you can find it in a shredded form. Melt yes it does.
4. Of course it melts! :-) It can also be found in block form. Just do a google image search if you don't believe me.
5. The sprinkle kind that looks like powder doesn't melt well at all. Parm is sold in wheels and wedges, usually in the specialty cheese section of any larger store. I buy those wedges of Parm, asiago, and Romano and shred them myself. Now THAT melts just fine.
6. you can buy blocks of parmesian cheese or pre-grated... I would suggest buying pre-grated because you will need a special grater - the cheese is very dense. Also, it doesn't melt like other cheeses because of the density (ie: lack of water content)
7. parma _ chese is to be grated when it comes in a block then you put it over your sauce or pasta then it melts in to the food the mozz# it comes in a block but when you grade or cut it melts like on pizza it is string-e were the parma #is not string-e or bounce to it
8. it is available in wedges and wheels. go to a cheese shop or gourmet shop. In fact some recipes call for you to put the rind in and take it out when the dish is done....adds great flavor.
9. parmesan cheese does melt but takes longer than you would think. it does come in a block of cheese like cheddar does. may need to go to a specialty store to find it.
10. you can get parmesan in block form
11. I buy it in a block form sometimes. Where I buy it, it's in a triangular block shape. It tastes better when you grate it yourself, but it's too much work for my lazy self.
12. No. Supermarkets sell it in block form. I keep that kind in the freezer and grind it for something that needs Parmesan kick in the flavor. There is even a pepper-grinder-style package that has a cheese bar inside it and a top that you twist to grind it fresh. No it does not melt down to buttery cream like Muenster but it does taste smoother after being baked for a long time at high heat.
13. The sprinkle stuff is drek. It's powdery, and won't melt. Buy a block in the better cheese section in the store, it tastes much better, and definitely melts. It does have a low water content, so it will still keep its shape when melted, but it does melt.
14. It doesn't melt right and doesn't taste that well melted. It comes in a block at your local italian specialty store. You can also get it grated there, too. I prefer bringin the block home and grating fresh so every time i want fresh cheese i just grate it in my kitchen.
15. You can buy it in chunks at Whole Foods or a gourmet cheese shop. Correct , it does not melt because it's an aged, dry cheese.
16. I love parm! The sprinkle stuff in the can can hardly be called cheese... it is mostly salt. Bleh. Check out the deli section in a large grocery. All of the above posters are right- wheels, wedges, grated, shredded, even shaved... and it doesn't melt like soft cheeses, but it certainly does do its very best! I love to put it on thick and crusty bread over a thin layer of pesto, and then broil it til it gets bubbly.Yum. Also, a few shavings in a minestrone soup is heaven. If you want it to melt better, then you have to mix it up with a softer cheese- try asiago. Get them both shredded and mix them into your dish. It will melt a little smoother that parm alone. Have fun!
17. Parmesan cheese can be purchased either grated, shredded or in chunk form, It is a hard Italian style cheese, the best being imported- Parmegina Reggiano! Domestic less strong in taste is also available and is most likely what you are sprinkling on your food. As part of a recipe, shredded or grated parmesan cheese will melt.
18. You can usually get Parmesan cheese in a block form though it's more like a wedge shape than a block. Often small pieces ( 1" x 4" wedge) are found in the specialty cheese (or imported cheese) section of your grocery store or at the deli counter. Failing that you may need to go into an Italian market/store or a European deli to find it and have them cut you a chunk.
19. Parmesan cheese is one of the base ingredients for Alfredo sauce, so it does melt to a thicker texture. Look for Parmesan in the deli section of the grocery.
20. Don't buy the pre-grated stuff ,calling it junk would be kind. Interestingly enough on a per pound basis the block cheese is actually a lot cheaper than the pre grated stuff. Because all the flavor molecules haven't been exposed to air the block stuff also tastes much better You don't have to buy the top of the line cheese but whatever you buy should be imported . I personally prefer a Locatelli Romano to a Parmesan If by chance you're not stuck living in a white city and have access to a decent Italian deli or grocery store then that's where you should buy your cheese from and your olive oil. The tool of choice for grating any hard cheeses is a rotary cheese grater which you can get pretty much anywhere for about $ 12.00 . Enjoy "Blessed are the cheese-makers"
21. The stuff you want is Parmagianno Reggiano. It's stamped on the rind. You can get wedges of it nowadays in most metropolitan areas I'd say. It does melt. A really cool thing to do is to grate some, and spread some in a circle on parchment paper or aluminum foil, put it in the oven. When it melts into a disc, you take it out. You can give it a curl before it cools if you want. It's yummy. You can use it as a garnish.