FACTS: Parrano

By Kara

We've received a cheese tip from a source in Tennessee: try some Parrano! (Our source found it at Whole Foods.)

If nothing else, Parrano cheese is well marketed: a quick internet search reveals dozens of unique (and consistently positive) reviews and just as many mouth-watering pictures. Parrano may be the first cheese we've encountered that lays claim to its own domain name. (We'll leave it to our readers to find whatever is located at your favorite cheese's .com...) Hats off to the people at UnieKaas (the unique producers of Parrano cheese) for such an effective cheese-marketing campaign! (Also see their page on "The Good Life" for some general advice about friends, family, and well-being.)

I have to poke a little fun at a cheese campaign that takes itself so seriously... But I also have to say that Parrano does sound delicious. It's a Dutch, Italian-style gouda, affectionately referred to as "The Dutch cheese that thinks its Italian" (Wikipedia.org), "Dutch cheese with an Italian accent!" (About.com), and "the unforgettable cheese with a distinctly Italian temperament" (Parrano.com). The flavor is described as nutty and sweet, similar to a mellow Parmesan. If you're wondering what the Dutch have brought to bare on this cheese, look to the texture: despite its Italian self-identity/accent/temperament, Parrano is solidly (or rather, smoothly and pliantly) Gouda in texture. It's a fairly young cheese, aged for 5 months, and it's good for shredding, slicing, or melting. In terms of taste, texture, and certainly versatility, Parrano seems to be close to cheese perfection.

A final fact, near and dear to C:AJ's heart: Parrano won "Best in Class, Gouda" at the 2006 World Cheese Championship in Madison. We will certainly be on the lookout for a taste!