Periodically I check out the offerings in the specialty cheese section at my local Shop Rite supermarket. Most are fairly common specimens, or obscure ones that I've already tried and posted about. But every so often a new one appears. Initially I thought it was an Italian cheese, since the name, parrano, sounded vaguely Italian. However, it's actually from The Netherlands.
As it turns out, my confusion about where the cheese comes from is intentional. Parrano was developed by a cheese master in the 1970's, after he was inspired by the cheeses he tried on a trip to Italy. In that vein, the originators (the Uniekaas cheese company) named the cheese after a municipality in the Terni province, within the Umbria region of Italy. They then marketed their new cheese with taglines such as "Sort of Italian," and "The Dutch cheese that thinks it's Italian." Technically, parrano is a type of Gouda cheese. But, that's kind of misleading, too, as "Gouda" is sort of used as a catch all term for anything that's similar to that cheese, or even a Dutch-style cheese. People often claim that parrano's taste is a combination of Gouda and (Italian) parmesan cheese. Parrano is made from cow's milk, and contains only the milk, salt, and a rennet made from animal sources. Parrano originale is aged for five months, and parrano robusto is aged 9 months. Another variant, parrano olifesta, is also aged for 5 months, but has Italian herbs, oil, and sun-dried tomatoes added to it, to really up the Italian theme, evidently. This cheese is admirably versatile, as it is easy to shred, slice, or melt, meaning it can readily be a table cheese, used in salads, or cooked into dishes. (Not shockingly, it's often used in Italian-style dishes.)
The manufacturing of parrano is dominated by two companies. Since it was a cheese master from Uniekaas that invented the cheese, it appears that this company is the only one that can call it by that name. However, the Vandersterre Groep makes a version called Prima Donna. My sample was from the former firm. Alas, due to a comparative lack of online information, even from the official company website, I can't go into a lot of detail about the Uniekaas Group. The official website basically contained a product list, recipes, a where-to-buy section, a short Frequently Asked Questions section, and a video commercial. I did learn that their cheeses contain no preservatives, artificial colors, or gluten. Although, if you're an observant vegan, the only product you can eat is the goat's milk cheese, as all the others use rennet derived from animal sources. Another website said that the Uniekaas owners used to be Willem Jan Rote and Paul Wilde. I use the past tense because in July of 2017 Uniekaas was bought up by a German company, DOC Dairy Partners B. V. Finally, if you're living in Central or South America, Africa, or Australia, you'll have trouble picking up Uniekaas products, as they don't export to these areas. I guess online shopping is your only possible option.
Parrano originale cheese: Had a pale yellow color, and a rind. Texture was semi-hard. Good flavor--both nicely salty, and tangy. Very tasty. Pleasant flavor, not too bland. Had it plain, but I have no reason to think it wouldn't be good on crackers, in a salad, cooked in a meal, etc.
So no surprises here. My sort-of-quest to find a cheese that's irredeemably bad continues. Also, I'd like to see an Italian-made cheese that's done in the Dutch style. Or a Dutch cheese made in the Djiboutian style. Or....you get the idea. More cheeses, from more countries and styles all around the globe. More varieties of the best food on Earth!
Normally I post articles on Saturdays. However, the next post will be two Mondays from now, on October 19, with information about the anthology "The Other Side," which will feature one of my stories. October 19th is also the book's release date.
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